Risotto With Tomato Extract
Makes 4 servings
FOR THE VEGETABLE STOCK:
2 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 shallots, skin on, sliced
4 springs thyme
8 cups cold water
A couple of shakes of extra-virgin olive oil
FOR THE RISOTTO:
2 cups short-grain rice (Here we used carnaroli, but you can use arborio)
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons shallot, diced
8 cups vegetable stock
1⁄2 cup of tomato extract (estratto di pomodoro)
or tomato paste
1⁄4 cup butter
11⁄3 cup Grana Padano or
Parmesan cheese, grated
Zest from 2⁄3 lemon
Zest from 1⁄4 orange
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons basil, finely julienned
1 tablespoon mint, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
In a stock pot, combine the ingredients for the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes. Keep at low
Lemon Mousse Makes 8 servings
⁄4 cup Meyer lemon juice
3
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1⁄8 teaspoon preserved lemon, diced or
1⁄8 teaspoon kosher salt
2 sheets gelatin (not necessary if you’re serving this the day you make it)
2 sticks cold butter, cut into pieces 21⁄2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 dozen strawberries, sliced
Add a few inches of water to a pot and bring to a gentle simmer. Combine the lemon juice, sugar, eggs and preserved lemon in a mixing bowl that will sit on top of the pot. Place the bowl on the pot so the simmering water can cook the ingredients indirectly. Stir every few minutes for about 20 minutes until the temperature reaches 175 degrees or the mixture coats a spoon and you can trace a line across the back.
Soften the gelatin by folding the slices and placing in a cup of cold water for about 30 seconds. Once it blooms, remove from the water and squeeze out the excess.
Take the bowl of curd off the pot and stir in the butter until completely dissolved. Add the gelatin to the lemon curd while it’s still warm and stir for about 20 seconds to let it melt into the curd. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to cool to room temperature.
In a saucepan, add the rice and toast briefly over medium heat. Do not brown it. Add enough olive oil to coat each grain of rice by stirring. Add the shallot and mix together.
Begin adding the stock, one ladleful at a time, stirring well. As the rice absorbs the stock, add a little more, and continue stirring. The stock should just cover the rice each time. After about 5 minutes, add the tomato extract. Keep stirring and adding the stock until the rice has thickened and is al dente.
Remove from the heat and add the
Once the curd has cooled, whip the cream until it’s medium soft. Gently stir in the lemon zest.
Gently fold in a third of the lemon curd to the whipped cream. Add another third of the curd and gently mix. Then butter. Stir for 3 to 4 minutes.
Add 1⁄3 cup of the cheese and continue stirring. If the mixture is getting too thick, add a bit more stock — and keep stirring. Add the rest of the cheese and stir. Stir in the lemon and orange zest and herbs (reserving a bit for garnish). Add salt and pepper to taste and adjust other seasonings. Put back on stove and bring back to a simmer to serve hot. (If too thick, stir in a little stock to loosen up.)
Ladle servings into shallow bowls. Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over the top of the risotto, garnish with herbs, and serve. fold in the rest.
To serve, you can either spoon the mousse into dishes or pipe it in for a prettier display. Fan out 3 sliced strawberries on each serving dish as garnish.