For years I made different versions of a creamy rice side dish with dinner. It was generally brown rice cooked in broth with something creamy added at the end of cooking. Cream of asparagus soup, cream cheese, or even just butter and cheese added to warm rice shortly before serving made a simple and delicious side dish. I often referred to these as "faux risotto" since they were similar to the traditional Italian dish but not actually the real thing. That ended last night.
Risotto is known for needing attentive babysitting and a bit of finesse. It can be intimidating to take on something that is famous for being screwed up. Anyone who has ever watched an episode of Hells Kitchen has heard trained, professional chefs being torn apart for destroying the risotto, so why in the hell would I think I can just mosey on into my little ol' kitchen, bust out a box of Arborio rice, some vegetable stock and be on my way to culinary success? Big Balls. Ha ha, no those are my husbands. Seriously though, it is simply my willingness to fail.
I've heard throughout my entire life people talking about failure not being an option. I never understood that concept. That doesn't strike me as remarkably brave or courageous. Failure is not an option to me is akin to plugging your ears, closing your eyes, and singing "lalalalala" at the top of your lungs to avoid facing what's right in front of you. In real life people fail all the time. Failure exists, it is inevitable. It's what you make of the failures that determines their value to you. Many times you can gain more knowledge and experience from a failure than a success. They are immensely effective opportunities to learn about yourself and your world. This is why, when it comes to something as fun as food can be, I am never afraid to fail. Worst case scenario: we order pizza! It's a win/win situation.
So back to the risotto. I tried. I won. It was delicious! I was even able to manage a perfect al dente finish on my first attempt. I bought the basic Arborio at Trader Joes. I can still be a little tricky to find this grain in some grocery stores. I didn't go for the standard mushroom flavor that you commonly see, but I did decide to stay classic and not try anything too crazy. Parmesan and Basil risotto was what I came up with.
Ingredients:
Approx. 2 1/4 cups Arborio rice
1 1/2 tbsp butter
1 small red onion chopped
4 medium cloves chopped garlic
1/2 cup fresh basil split: 1/4 cup chopped finely/ 1/4 cup chiffonade sliced right at finish
1/4 cup sherry wine
5 cups vegetable stock/broth
1/4 cup fresh shredded parmesan cheese
1/8 cup creme fraiche*
salt & pepper to taste
Recipe:
Heat stock to a very gentle simmer (not boiling)
Heat butter, chopped onions and a sprinkle of kosher over medium heat in a large chefs pan or skillet until softened.
Add chopped garlic and basil. Cook for approximately 2 minutes or until you can strongly smell the garlic.
Add the rice and cook until well coated and translucent.
Add the sherry, stirring constantly until evaporated.
Once the wine evaporates begin adding the stock to the rice one ladle at a time while continuing to stir constantly. Once the last ladle of stock evaporates it is time to add another. Repeat this process continually while tasting until you have used all of the stock and/or your rice is al dente.
Turn off heat.
Add the parmesan, basil chiffonade, and creme fraiche* and gently fold into the rice.
*The addition of a cream to risotto is a highly debated issue. It is NOT "traditional" to add cream to a classic risotto. That doesn't make it bad though. Yes, it should be creamy without the addition, however I find a little heavy cream, or my preference, a little creme fraiche, adds not necessarily the creaminess, but extra body and a richness in flavor that heightens the dish's complexity and makes it even more gratifying.
It was creamy and delicious and had the perfect amount of body and bite to it. My family loved it and my husband actually ate more of it than his bone in ribeye, which is an extraordinary occurrence. It did take babysitting, but it was more about patience and tasting than some complicated technique. You add hot liquid a cup at a time and stir. Taste it every few minutes to determine the doneness of the rice. Not rocket science. I now wonder about all those chefs on Hells Kitchen. Maybe they recruit from the shallow end of the talent pool. It IS reality TV.
So, I encourage you to try something different and challenge yourself to step outside your comfort zone next time you make dinner. If you fail, learn something from it. If you succeed pat yourself on the back and add something new to your arsenal!
