our RECIPES

TIPS FOR THE PERFECT RISOTTO:

Choose the right vessel: a wide pot with a heavy bottom, so the heat is evenly distributed during cooking.

In order to toast the grains, heat the pot over medium-high heat and add olive oil and a small finely chopped onion when the oil simmers. Sautè for 2 to 3 minutes or until slightly translucent. N.B. As you will read in the recipes of the amazing Chefs who embrace and enhance Cascina Oschiena's rices and philosophy they “dry” toast the rice: heat the pot, pour the rice alone and add olive oil when the rice has been toasted for a couple of minutes (stirring the rice and not letting it turn brown)

Add the Classic Arborio/Classic Carnaroli rice to the pot, allowing it to absorb the oil. Stir constantly to prevent sticking.

After a minute or so, the rice will begin to release a distinct nutty smell and will become hot to touch. At this point, the grains are toasted.

Cook your risotto on a low, simmering heat and add the stock gradually, one ladle at a time. This gives the rice time to fully absorb the liquid and flavors. If you pour in the stock all at once, you are just boiling rice. By slowly adding stock, you allow the rice grains to bump up against each other, creating that creamy starch. Wait until the rice absorbs all the stock to add some more. Keep in mind the ratio: about 3 cups of stock for every cup of Arborio/Carnaroli rice. Keep the stock simmering in a small pot so everything stays hot and cooks evenly.

Stirring the rice is important, because a risotto's creaminess comes from the starch generated when grains of rice rub against each other. So stir it often, but feel free to give your arms (and the rice) a break.

When the rice is creamy and soft but with a little firmness remaining in the centre, the rice is done. When you bite into the rice, your teeth should meet with some resistance.

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One of the great things about risotto is how easy it is to customize. Start experimenting with your risotto dishes by adding different ingredients and combining flavors in whatever way suits you: from a simple Parmigiano risotto to an exotic truffle risotto, the possibilities are endless.

White wine. Sometimes I like to add dry white wine to the rice after it has been toasted for 1-2 minutes. All you will need is about 1/2 cup per cup of rice. Allow the rice the absorb the wine before moving to the next step.

The stock is a personal choice. A vegetable stock is more delicate, a chicken stock adds more flavor to your recipes. Risotto is a dish in which the quality of the stock will make a big difference. A home-style product will give a supreme result when reduced together with the rice.

Asparagus Risotto

Risotto has a totally undeserved reputation for being difficult and tiresome to cook--all that standing and stirring over a hot stove. But honestly in my kitchen it’s what we turn to for a quick, delicious meal, especially if unexpected company arrives for supper.

It’s early June as I write this and a splendid time for the last of the season’s asparagus, but this basic recipe could be adapted for all kinds of vegetables--think fresh green peas, or ripe tomatoes and sweet red peppers in August, or maybe butternut squash in the fall.

They all fall into the same pattern, which is:
Sauté very gently in olive oil or unsalted butter some finely chopped aromatics (onions, garlic, parsley) along with the principal flavoring ingredient (in this case, asparagus, the tender stalks only, broken into inch long pieces), then stir in the rice and let it absorb some of the fat. (Italian chefs call this la tostatura.)

Add a little white wine and as soon as it is absorbed, start adding stock (chicken, beef, vegetable) which you will have on the side, just barely simmering. Add it in increments of ¼ to ½ cup, and stir it in. As soon as the stock is absorbed, add more, stirring the while, until the rice is done--cooked through but still with a little bite in the center.

This should take just 20 to 30 minutes and in the end the rice should be what Venetians call all’onda, meaning thick with liquid but not the least bit soupy. This is why we insist on arborio or carnaroli rice. With their starchy veneer, these varieties of short-grain rice will develop just the right almost velvety coating. When done, add more butter and grated cheese if you wish, cover the pan and let it rest for 10 to 20 minutes before serving.

To make 6 to 8 servings:

6 cups stock (chicken, beef, vegetable)
1 ½ to 2 pounds fresh asparagus
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil (or use part oil and part butter if you prefer)
1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
Sea salt to taste
1 garlic clove, chopped
About ¼ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 cups Oschiena carnaroli or arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
½ to ¾ cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano or grana padano cheese
1 or 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Bring the stock to a simmer and continue to simmer it very gently while you prepare the risotto. Prepare the asparagus, discarding the tough ends and breaking the stalks into inch long pieces. Break off the flowering heads of the asparagus and set aside to be added later as a contrast.

Add the oil to a heavy kettle or saucepan large enough to hold all the rice when cooked. Set it over medium low heat and stir in the onion and salt. Turn to coat well with fat and as the onion starts to sizzle, add the garlic and parsley. Once the onion slices begin to soften, add the asparagus stalk pieces. Cook gently until the onion is soft and melting but not brown and the asparagus has started to go limp.

Add the rice to the vegetables and stir to mix well. Cook for several minutes or until the rice starts to change color, becoming chalky white, and to sizzle in the fat. Add the wine, raise the heat slightly, and cook, stirring, until the wine has been absorbed.

Now start adding simmering stock, a half-cup at a time, stirring after each addition. As soon as the rice has absorbed the liquid, add more, continuing, ladle by ladle. There should always be liquid visible in the pan--i.e., the rice should never be let to dry out.

But don’t add all the liquid at once--this will result in boiled rice rather than velvety-textured risotto.

After 15 minutes, when the rice is almost done, stir in the reserved asparagus heads.

You may not need to use all the stock but if it happens that you use it up, simply add boiling water instead.

The important thing is to keep adding liquid until the rice is done--al dente, with a bit of a bite in the center, each grain well coated with the sauce which will be dense and almost syrupy. The pieces of asparagus stalk will be very soft while the heads will retain some pleasant texture.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in about ¼ cup of the cheese, the butter if you wish, and the pepper. Immediately cover the pan and set it aside for 10 to 15 minutes before serving, with the remaining cheese passed at the table.

Nancy Harmon Jenkins - The Four Seasons of Pasta. www.nancyharmonjenkins.com