Risotto Self Improvement

Patience is not one of my virtues. A good MJF-impression probably involves the person standing with their arms crossed and their foot tapping, glaring at a companion in the hopes they’ll "hurry up." So when I told my friends I’d be tackling risotto for a dinner gathering, they were more than a little skeptical. Was it masochism? Was it a self-improvement gesture designed to reform my impatient ways? Nah; I just had a craving for comfort food.

Risotto is an Italian dish where the rice is cooked slowly in stock until it achieves a creamy consistency. Mushrooms, peas and herbs are common accessories to the course. For those of us with a tendency to wander away from the stove to check our email, chat on our cell phones or find out what Rory’s babbling about on "Gilmore Girls," risotto is not necessarily our dish of expertise. It’s not a difficult thing to make, but it requires constant attention for about a half hour. Your focus will be rewarded – it’s an impressive, delicious and inexpensive dish which can be easily customized and works well as a side dish or an entrée. It’s great to cook for a group of friends, so you can bully them into the kitchen to entertain you as you make it, or force them to trade off on stirring duty.

Some general risotto tips:
1. Use Arborio rice (often labeled "risotto rice" if you buy it at the Giant) – it does the best job of maintaining its consistency and holding the flavor.
2. ADD LIQUID SLOWLY. As you’re adding stock to your risotto, do it a ladle-full as a time. Only when all the stock is absorbed do you add another ladleful. The whole process takes 15 minutes minimum. Also, make sure the stock is heated before you start adding.
3. Do NOT WALK AWAY. Really, you have to stir the thing at least every 30 seconds for it to come out correctly. But stir gently – you’re not making gruel.

Everything else is common sense. Fresh herbs over dried herbs, homemade stock over canned. Otherwise, for your ingredients, just use your imagination – from seafood to squash to saffron. It’s a dish that can be vegetarian friendly (for mine, just substitute in veggy broth), and also can make great use of refrigerator leftovers. The recipe I provide for you is for a mushroom and lemon risotto, inspired by a recipe in The Cook’s Encyclopedia of Vegetarian Cooking.

8 oz leeks or scallions, chopped
8 oz cremini mushrooms (though many other types will do), cleaned and chopped
some olive oil
handful of garlic cloves, crushed
about 6 tablespoons of butter
1 red onion, chopped
1 ¾ cup Arborio rice
5 cups chicken stock OR 4 cups stock, 1 cup white wine. If using canned stock, substitute one cup water for one of the cups of stock
zest and juice of one lemon
handful each of chopped chives, parsley and thyme
salt and pepper
2/3 cup Romano or Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in large saucepan. Sautee garlic, leeks, and mushrooms (season as needed) for about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add some of the butter to the pan, and sauté your onion for around 5 minutes. Add rice and cook for a minute. Warm up your stock on the stove or microwave.

Now start adding your stock (heat should be on medium), ladle by ladle. As all the liquid is absorbed , add another ladle of liquid until you’re out of it. If using wine, make that your first ladle-full. Start tasting after 15 minutes, but the process should take around 20 minutes – the rice should have an al dente taste and a creamy texture.

Before serving, stir in your cooked vegetables, the rest of the butter, the herbs, and half the cheese. Season and serve, garnishing the top with the rest of the cheese.