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Making Risotto Tonight

post #1 of 37
4/8/09 at 4:21pm
Thread Starter 
So I'm going to make risotto tonight.

I usually make a mushroom risotto with home-made chicken stock, shitakes, and maybe some dried porcinis if I have them. Obviously parmesan cheese, and some onion, too.

I read in my Hazan that I'm not supposed to be using chicken stock, and that the broth is preferably a beef broth with very little flavor. Maybe that's more classically Italian, but everyone seems to love the chicken-broth based dish.

Tonight I have a little bit of homemade beef broth I made last week, but it's probably not enough. I'll probably need to add some store-bought broth.

I was figuring on making mushroom risotto again since it's pretty easy. Any suggestions or thoughts?

Also, any suggestions on a meat to serve with it? Needs to be easy and relatively quick. I was just going to do a simple whole baked chicken with lemons, but I'm wondering if that's not the best pairing.

What do the foodies of SF have to suggest?
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post #2 of 37
4/8/09 at 4:25pm
Hazan?
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post #3 of 37
4/8/09 at 4:26pm
I would do everything I could to avoid using store bought broth. Add wine to make up for your shortage of beef stock, or use the dried mushrooms to make a bit of mushroom stock to stretch the beef, but don't resort to the store bought stuff. Just my opinion.
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post #4 of 37
4/8/09 at 4:28pm
Thread Starter 
Marcella Hazan, renowned Italian food author.. This book is like my kitchen Bible.
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post #5 of 37
4/8/09 at 4:30pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Working Stiff View Post
I would do everything I could to avoid using store bought broth. Add wine to make up for your shortage of beef stock, or use the dried mushrooms to make a bit of mushroom stock to stretch the beef, but don't resort to the store bought stuff. Just my opinion.

Yeah I hate using store broth too, and I considered just what you proffered, but I don't want it to taste too weak or bland or watered-down.

Still, I'm on the fence.
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post #6 of 37
4/8/09 at 4:34pm
I like my risotto with a lot of white wine in it, but maybe that's just me.
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post #7 of 37
4/8/09 at 4:37pm
I use bouillon cubes all the time - what's the big deal?
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post #8 of 37
4/8/09 at 4:40pm
I'm not against decent quality store stock. Some of it is more than good enough. If your mushroom risotto is in any way decent you shouldn't need anything to go with it. Roast the mushrooms beforehand with some thyme or rosemary, garlic, wine, japanese chili if you want. You could wilt some spinach and joint the chicken and serve risotto-spinach-chicken in a little informal tower. Or you could roast some squash (not really the right season though) and puree it and add it to, and through, the risotto for a different dimension. A bit of parsley perhaps. Generally, I wouldn't mess with a good mushroom risotto.
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post #9 of 37
4/8/09 at 5:06pm
Remember - final touch is the burro - a tbsp or so "at full whack", and then top on, 5 mins. sitting off the heat.

A friend of ours spotted MH in a restaurant down in Fla. - cornedbeef sandwich, bourbon and puffing a cig....
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post #10 of 37
4/8/09 at 5:07pm
Thread Starter 
Hm. Roasting the mushrooms is an interesting twist I hadn't thought of. I generally saute them first. Might introduce another level of flavor.
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post #11 of 37
4/8/09 at 5:18pm
rissoto isn't a side dish, it is a course in and of itself.

I use mostly store bought beef stock, myself. good parmesion, good butter, good olive oil, a dash of good cream, good safran, pine nuts.
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post #12 of 37
4/8/09 at 6:17pm
I find that soaking the dried porcini mushrooms in a simmering broth for a few minutes gives the broth a pretty intense mushroomy flavor that the type of broth I use is really not that important anyway. I also like to throw in some peas at the end to add a little color to the risotto. I'm also with globetrotter. I usually treat my risotto as a main dish, unless I'm making a big meal for a specific reason. It's too time-consuming for me to deal with any other main dish.
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post #13 of 37
4/8/09 at 6:22pm
I was going to make risotto tonight too. I was all excited about it, and when I got home I realized I left my arborio rice in Indy.

Wild rice, broccoli, and pork loin for me tonight.
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post #14 of 37
4/8/09 at 11:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gdl203 View Post
I use bouillon cubes all the time - what's the big deal?

They are salt bombs.
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post #15 of 37
4/9/09 at 8:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Working Stiff View Post
I like my risotto with a lot of white wine in it, but maybe that's just me.

I generally use a decent amount of white wine too. I like throwing some asparagus into my risotto.
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