Ready for risotto
I’ve come to discover that making great risotto is equal parts good ingredients and adherence to the process. You can’t edit it for convenience and come up with the same results. The rules are the rules for a reason.
HERE ARE MY FIVE RISOTTO RULES:
1. An Italian will tell you the first rule is to only use arborio or carnaroli rice. Agreed, a starchy rice (never rinse your rice before cooking) makes for a creamy risotto, but I’ve discovered farro, a protein-rich grain, also makes great, albeit untraditional, risotto.
2. Use butter and olive oil. This is my own personal rule, as I like the combination of flavours. I used to believe this reduced the burn temperature, but experience has proven myself wrong.
3. Always toast your rice. Some would argue this is to add flavour, but I believe by coating the rice in butter and oil, it helps to encapsulate the rice in fat, allowing for a slower absorption of liquid and an overall creamier, more complex dish.
4. Slowly add warm stock and never add more until the rice has absorbed all the liquid. Again, I think this helps for creating a creamy texture in your rice, as it promotes even cooking. And while we are on this point, stir, stir and stir some more.
5. Never salt too much, too early. Remember, the Parmesan cheese added at the end is salty. Salt after you add the Parmesan cheese.
LOBSTER AND PEA RISOTTO Serves 4
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/4 cup arborio rice
• 1/4 cup local white wine
• 1-1/2 lb lobster, cooked, deshelled, meat chopped, shells reserved
• 1 cup frozen peas, steamed
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (or an other hard cheese) Directions:
Warm stock over medium heat (see additional note below). Place a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil and butter. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the rice and stir with a wooden spoon to ensure all the rice is covered in olive oil and butter. Add the wine. When the wine has evaporated, add the warm stock a ladle or two at a time until absorbed. When the stock is almost fully incorporated, add the lobster, peas and Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine. Serve warm.
Note: To add a little more lobster flavour, I add the lobster shells to the broth.
RED WINE, MUSHROOM AND FARRO RISOTTO
• 5 cups vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 lb mixed wild mush rooms, roughly chopped
• 1 cup farro
• 1 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup pecorino cheese, finely grated
Directions:
Place stock in a pot and warm. Meanwhile, heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When butter is melted, add the onion. Sauté until soft. Add the mushrooms. When mushrooms are soft, add the farro. After a minute, add the red wine. When the wine has been absorbed by the farro, add a ladle of warm stock. When farro absorbs stock, repeat until the farro is cooked but not mushy. It should be creamy but still have a slight bite. Add the cheese. Stir to mix.
WINE PAIRINGS
For white wines, I look for a combination of richness and acidity, such as found in northern climate Chardonnay like those from Canada or northern France regions like Chablis. For a less expensive regional alternative, choose a good quality Soave from northern Italy.
As for red wines, while most risotto dishes favour white wines, my savoury red wine, mushroom farro risotto begs for a light-bodied savoury red wine, such as Canadian Cabernet Franc or local Pinot Noir.
However, I am more likely to choose a juicy Piedmontese (Italy) red wine, such as Dolcetto or Barbera d’Alba. The latter is more easily found in local liquor stores.
Mark DeWolf is currently the creative director of food and drink at the SaltWire Network, director of marketing and communications of the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale
(ASI) and past-president of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS). He enjoys drinking, eating, writing and talking about wine, beer and food.