@vonny,
mmmmm, going to look that one up, Vonny.
Late afternoon and into the evening I put together my first risotto in a long time. I used to make risotto a lot but I got out of the habit when I moved here and only could find the arborio rice I've never liked as much as the bags of arborio I use to buy back in italian markets in California. Since making risotto was routine, back in the day, I had no qualms fooling around with what I put in the rice and timing, no problemo.
Years went by, but some time ago a friend gave a small bag of arborio from Italy. It looked ok, but the rice was smaller than I was used to, and it has sat in the cupboard waiting for me to get interested. Recipe on the bag different than I'm used to. And I'm different, older and out of risotto practice. Plus, I'm less patient, like to go back and check the computer sometimes while still cooking away.
So..
long story short, it turned out fine, even very good. I'll make it again, but chase around for arborio that looks more normal to me, some grocery store adventuring. Geeze, I used to buy it in five pound bags.
What was in it? A little oil and butter, arborio cooked the way Marcella Hazan's classic book taught me - this time having to read up - arborio stirred in the fat a few minutes, a little red wine cooked down, 5 or 6 cups of hot simmering water mixed with beef broth in a side pan;
I cut up and browned two hot italian sausages in a side pan, and added those and whatever juice from the sausages and some of my store of caramellized onions plus some previously oven roasted canned marzano tomatoes* into the rice as it was getting towards halfway done; as some of the liquid, I added some of the spicy bbq sauce I had made previously for spareribs, threw in some pepper for good measure, and kept tossing until the rice tasted "there'.
Yay, an ital type risotto with a faint bit of Kansas City BBQ taste. Now I'm not worried about risotto anymore... just which store in town to get the best arborio. There's an ital market across the city, will call and check with them first.
* I didn't know until recently that one can roast the tomatoes that are canned. I often buy ordinary tomatoes in cans, but sometimes splurge for San Marzanos,
which, besides being pretty good tomatoes, also usually have better sauce than other canned tomatoes. Also, more expensive, oh well. There are lots of recipes out there on how-to; I use Martha Stewart's.
I had to look that up, but now it's on my culinary bucket list. I've got to find a way to experience that if it's only once...
