Risotto

Sweet Corn Risotto with Scallop, Bacon-Corn Ragu, and Crispy Leeks

/ andreah94 / Leave a comment

In case you ever wonder what girl’s night consists of in Andiland, well, this is it. I made this dish for my most recent (and much needed) girls night at the aptly dubbed “Andi’s Cocina.”  I have to say thank you to Sarah for helping with the task of stirring! Thanks to her, this was the first time that I have EVER had the risotto finished before other elements of the dish. This was just a perfect get-together-and-catch-up dinner that we all enjoyed very much. The ragu, can be made in advance and warmed up right before serving, was the perfect compliment to the sweet corn and slightly sweet scallop. I topped everything with crispy leeks for a nice texture contrast.

Sweet Corn Risotto with Scallop, Bacon-Corn Ragu, and Crispy Leeks

Serves Four

One recipe Sweet Corn Risotto
One recipe Bacon-Corn Ragu
One recipe crispy leeks
Four scallops
Salt
Pepper
Fresh Basil, chiffonade (or other herb of choice)
Butter

Enlist the help of a hungry friend and prepare the risotto, asking your hungry friend to stir the rice. Once the risotto is about 15 minutes from being done (for one cup about 45 minutes but this depend on oven type – look for creaminess and taste to determine cooking length), prepare the bacon-corn ragu and heat oil for leeks. Once the ragu is done, transfer to a bowl and heat a half-tablespoon of butter (or oil) over a medium heat heat. Salt and pepper the scallops (after you have patted them well dry) and sear on each side for about a minute and a half to obtain a nice brown top. Plate the risotto, then top with one scallop, then spoon the bacon over the scallop and top with a handful of crispy leeks. Dress with fresh basil and serve immediately.

Sweet Corn Risotto

/ andreah94 / 1 Comment

Well folks, I am running out of things to be grateful about this summer.  This has everything to do with the fact that we just broke the record for the number of days over 100 yesterday.  The heat is literally erasing summer’s previous amazingness from my memory. The fond memories of Lake Austin, walking Town Lake, tennis, pool parties, cook outs, warm summer nights on a patio, melons, strawberries, and corn are fading away as we slowly disintegrate from the heat. Basically, unless you are physically submerged in water – cold water at that – you have to stay inside. On the bright side, inside we have stoves and central air. So, as I find myself seeking the familiar, I find myself day-dreaming about corn. This was a risotto that I had been wanting to try out for a while, and I am so glad I did. It was superb and made this record-breaking summer a bit more bearable for a little while. You can pair this with whatever you like or serve it on its own with a simple salad. I chose to make a dish of the risotto, U-10 scallops, a lovely Bacon-Corn Ragu, and Crispy Leeks.

Risotto can be tricky and can make you think it is a feat, but really it just takes effort and knowledge. NEVER add cream to your risotto, risotto gains its creamy texture from the breakdown of proteins around the rice. Every step of making risotto is vital in breaking these down (toasting, stirring, warm liquid being added in small amounts, more stirring, etc). So be patient, and cook with love. The end result of risotto is a rich, creamy, comfort food that is hard not to want to make every night. A good risotto will expand on your plate when you spoon it down. Just FYI.

Note: I made a corn stock and added in corn puree to really capture the corn flavor (in addition to incorporating corn kernels). Both ingredients can be made ahead and used within a couple of days. Alternately, you can make do without either. Risotto will take some time, so be prepared. This is a better dish to make on the weekends, and the leftovers are fantastic.

Sweet Corn Risotto

For the Broth:

Two Quarts Chicken or Vegetable Broth (or water)
One large white onion, quartered
Six Roasted Corn cobs, halved
Three Corn Husks
Five cloves garlic, gently smushed
One tablespoon thyme leaves

Place corn into an oven heated to 350 F and roast for approximately 30 minutes (a little under won’t hurt). Peel down the husks and allow to cool so that the corn can be handled. Remove the kernels from the cob (trying to get as much milk as the cob has to give). Reserve the kernels and milk in a bowl and set aside. In a large stock pot, boil 2 quarts of chicken or vegetable stock or water. Once boiling, add the roasted cobs, about half of the husks, a large onion, 5 cloves garlic, and a few sprigs of thyme. Reduce heat and simmer for a few hours to make stock. Once done, strain well and reserve liquid.

For the risotto:

One cup Arborio Rice
One cup White wine
Two quarts corn stock (or chicken stock)
One slice of pancetta (about 1/8 inch thick), cut into small dice
One white onion, finely diced (can also use shallots or yellow onion)
Four cloves garlic, minced (optional)
Three tablespoons butter
One cup Parmesan or Pecorino Cheese
One cup Sweet Corn Puree
Squeeze of lemon (optional)
Black Pepper
Pinch Salt

Heat a bit of oil in a large pan or dutch oven. Once a high heat is achieved, throw in the pancetta and cook until fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy. Remove pancetta to a napkin lined plate, reduce heat and after a few minutes add the butter to the pan. Once melted, add garlic and onion (season with a pinch of salt) and cook a few minutes, then add risotto and allow to toast (make sure that the risotto is spread over the pan surface to toast evenly). Toast for a minute or two, then stir and toast for a minute or two more. Hit the pan with one cup of the wine.

Bring broth to simmer in large saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to low; cover to keep warm. Heat a bit of oil in a large pan or dutch oven. Once a high heat is achieved, throw in the pancetta and cook until fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy. Remove pancetta to a napkin lined plate, reduce heat to medium and after a few minutes add the butter to the pan.  Add onion (or shallots) and garlic and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. then add risotto and allow to toast (make sure that the risotto is spread over the pan surface to toast evenly). Toast for a minute or two, then stir and toast for a minute or two more. Hit the pan with one cup of the wine.  Add one cup of wine and stir until evaporated. Once most liquid is absorbed, add about three-quarters of a cup of broth and simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently to constantly. Repeat until broth is gone and risotto is creamy and tender; you may need to warm more broth or use more wine than stated to fully cook the risotto.  Stir in the corn puree and the corn kernels. Stir in cheese and remaining tablespoon of butter. Taste and then season with salt and pepper, and a small squeeze of lemon. Serve immediately.

Butternut Squash and Melted Leek Risotto

/ andreah94 / Leave a comment

>This risotto came about because JMac needed a Halloween-themed pot luck dish, so I promptly got to work trying out recipes. I am so happy I did. Ironically enough I saw a version of this in  Bon Appetit in November of last year, naturally I decided that I had to make my version to compete. I prefer mine=) This dish has several different cooking components but once you get them started you can pretty much do everything simultaneously. This is much better as a Sunday dinner dish because of the amount of time it takes to cook risotto (completely worth it though).

Makes about 4 large servings, plus leftovers

  • Butternut Squash, at least a pound cubed (I like to buy butternut squash already cut up and cubed – it really makes life so much easier, you can also buy frozen if you choose).
  • 4-6+ large Shallots, thinly sliced
  • 4-5 garlic cloves, minced
  • Herbs de Provence
  • 1-2 bunches of leeks – white part only, sliced into rings and throughout cleaned of dirt (it is easiest to clean them after slicing by placing the rings into a strainer and running water over them – dry and reserve)
  • 7 tablespoons butter
  • white cooking wine (about a half cup for leeks and between 1 -2 cups for risotto depending on taste
  • 1 cup Arborio rice
  • at least 3 cups of chicken broth – probably more – warm on low heat throughout
  • Parmesan or Pecorino Cheese – to taste – about a half cup shredded
  • Fresh torn basil

Preheat oven to 400

Toss butternut squash with about 2 or the shallots sliced and 2 garlic cloves minced, herbs de provence, salt, pepper, and basil/garlic/olive oil. Place on a baking sheet and bake until fork tender.

In a small saucepan, combine 5.5 tablespoons butter and about a half cup of wine over a medium heat. Add leeks and simmer for about an hour (the longer the better). Season as appropriate.

In a large skillet prepare the risotto. Melt remaining butter and a little olive oil in pan add in remaining shallots and garlic. Sprinkle with a touch of salt and cook until glassy.  Add the rice and toast, stirring until it is translucent.  Add about a cup and a half of the wine and stir until absorbed.  Then add the simmering chicken broth in half cup portions, stirring until absorbed, then adding more.  Once it gets a little more done I usually taste it and add more wine or chicken broth accordingly.Once the risotto has reached the desired texture – add salt and pepper to taste and add cheese. Add butternut squash (I usually add it whole but you can puree it with a little bit of broth if you prefer) and leek mixture and mix well. Garnish with basil and pepper to taste.

Champagne Risotto

/ andreah94 / 2 Comments

This is delicious and well worth the time it takes to cook – this is also better as a weekend meal when you have ample time to cook as it takes about an hour and a half if not more. I made my own version of Giada’s recipe for this and I am pretty much in love with it whenever I eat it. Another Plus is that it is Gluten free (love you JMac!) Risotto takes a while to cook, and the constant stirring helps break down the exterior and results in a creamy, luxurious mouthful. Risotto, when cooked right, should spread on the plate once you spoon it on.

About4 servings adapted from Giada de Laurentiis

3/4 cup or more Arborio rice (the more rice the longer you must cook – adjust remaining ingredients accordingly)
1 Box Chicken broth, warmed by simmering
3/4 pound Asparagus – sliced into one inch pieces and blanched in chicken stock or independently steamed
Frozen green peas – as many as you want – I use about a half a bag
1/2 pound Mushrooms -sliced
2 tablespoons Butter
2 cups Champagne (or Cava or Prosecco) – can sub other white wine if necessary – 2 cups
Couple handfuls of Parmesan and Pecorino cheese shredded
Salt /pepper
5 or more shallots chopped or sliced thin
2 garlic cloves
Fresh torn Basil

In small saucepan boil the asparagus in the chicken broth for a few minutes (remove asparagus and set aside) and turn the chicken broth down to the lowest setting. Meanwhile, melt butter and a little olive oil in pan add in shallots and garlic. Sprinkle with a touch of salt and cook until glassy. Add the rice and toast, stirring until it is translucent. Add about a cup and a half of the champagne and stir until absorbed. Repeat. Then add the chicken broth (make sure to keep broth on low setting) in half cup portions, stirring until absorbed then add more. Repeat several times. Once it gets a little more done I usually taste it and add champagne or chicken broth accordingly to your tastes. In a pan on the back burner sauté the mushrooms in some butter or oil and a touch of red wine, sherry or soy sauce and then drain and add to set aside with asparagus. Once the risotto has reached the desired texture – add salt and pepper to taste, about a quarter inch of butter, one or two handfuls of Parmesan cheese, reserved veggies, and the frozen peas and stir to mix up. Garnish with basil (if you have any – if not it is fine) a fresh sprinkle of cheese. Eat!
Can add crispy prosciutto or shallots for crunch if you would like it. Excellent served with Parmesan, Basil, Panko crusted chicken (I bake it) or with a piece of seared salmon. I generally crust the salmon for texture if I am serving it.

Leftovers can be used to make risotto cakes or risotto balls (arancini) add egg to bind then if making a risotto cake (crust or not) either bake or pan fry them. For arancini shove a little cube of mozzarella into the center after forming a ball – roll in seasoned bread crumbs and fry. You may be able to bake these but I have never tried it.

I am also considering stuffing risotto and a bit of cheese into Swiss chard and baking it, then serving with under-baked tomatoes. I will let you know how that goes =) That is if I ever have any leftovers…