RECIPE: Hearty Risotto
HEARTY RISOTTO
It's not a perfect autumn evening without a hot, savory dish to warm the soul. Times being what they are - and the price of meat becoming outrageous - inexpensive comfort foods are making a comeback.
This recipe uses fresh, inexpensive vegetables and cheap cuts of either pork or chicken meat. I usually get 4-5 servings out of it.
It's a labor of love considering all the prep that goes into it. ❤️
THE GRAIN
Rice is a grass seed. Specifically, rice is an edible starchy cereal grain and the grass plant by which it is produced. It's a good source of carbs and fiber, but it's also a high glycemic index food - a quickly digested food that may cause a sudden spike in your blood sugar levels.
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Arborio rice is an Italian "superfino" short-grain rice. It's one of the largest among the short Italian rice. The cooked grains are firm and creamy due to their high amylopectin starch content. The method of cooking to release the starch and absorb the flavor is key here, as is the water-to-rice ratio.
Some supermarkets stock it. You can also order it online for a good price.
As far as brand goes - I love Riso Scotti's. It absorbs well, tastes nice, and isn't too clumpy.
Do NOT use instant rice (Uncle Ben's, Minute Rice, etc). It won't cook properly.
A note on instant rice: Do yourself the courtesy of treating your body with respect. Flavored packets simplify meals while also cramming a lot of chemicals into what you digest. "Instant" rice has fewer of the calories, carbs, and protein than regular rice. That's because instant rice is milled down, cooked, and then dehydrated. Vital nutrients are lost. The companies solve this by adding their own nutrients and iron. All that is before any flavor packets are used.
THE EQUIPMENT
The world is filled with things for cooking rice. Your pocketbook is your limit - some expensive cookers aren't worth the price. Others, like those put out by Instant Pot, blend functionality with software - as in "your cooker requires 2.4GHz frequency band to operate with App". Only $99 for that model, by the way.
Gruffvet has a $15 rice cooker. It's great for Jasmine rice, etc. For hearty risotto, I use a large saute pan with a non-stick coating.
THE METHOD AND CONTENTS
Just a quick note here - scrap the container directions. While most recipes call for a 2-1 water/rice ratio, this recipe uses 3-1. You'll add the liquids a little at a time, allowing the rice to absorb them before adding more.
I group my veg into two containers. One is cooked prior to adding rice, and the other is stirred into the pan during the rice cooking process.
The first group is things that need to go soft first. Onions, celery, carrots, etc. The second group contains the flavor-givers such as spinach, mushrooms, zucchini, garlic, tomatoes, tomato sauce.
You can use baked chicken thighs or breasts, or pork, or cooked Italian sausage. Make sure the meat is bite-sized and ready to eat. I typically cook the meat in advance, flavoring the chicken or pork with only salt, pepper, onion powder, and a bit of garlic powder.
Dried herbs are fine to use. Also use them to taste.
THE HEARTY RISOTTO RECIPE
1 medium white or red onion, diced
1/2 cup diced celery stalks
1/4 cup diced mini sweet peppers
1/4 cup minced carrots
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup chopped baby spinach
1 cup chopped roma or campari tomatoes
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
14 oz cooked chicken, pork, or sausage
2-3 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1. Dice onion, celery, mini sweet peppers, carrots and garlic. Set aside in a container.
3. Melt olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a pan. Add the onions, celery, mini sweet peppers, carrots and garlic. Cook until onions are translucent.
4. Make a "well" in the veg and add a tablespoon of butter. Add the rice to the pan, stirring to gently toast the cereal.
5. Gently pull the veg into the middle to combine with the rice. Stir in one cup broth. Smooth the rice level. Allow rice to absorb the liquid, stirring and leveling as necessary until most of the liquid is gone.
6. Add spinach, tomatoes, tomato sauce container to pan. Stir and allow the rice to absorb the flavors. You might want to add a tablespoon of water or broth if the sauce seems too thick. Allow rice to absorb the liquid, stirring etc.
7. Add meat and 1 cup broth to the pan. Stir and level until liquid is absorbed. SAMPLE the rice. Depending on brand, it may still be too hard. You can add 1/2 - 1 cup of broth here, stirring and leveling until absorbed. Cooked rice will be creamy.
8. Serve with red wine.
