Risottos

I am after some yummy risottos if thats how you spell it. I need Alan to eat more vegies but with some nice flavouring and rice so I thought this would be the way to do it.

So if you have any recipes, I would be very greatful.

ooooohhhh Ill get my recipe when I get home! It was in a recipe mag just last month and it was my first attempt at making risotto and it was devine!

It was sausage rissotto, but instead of chunky bits of sausages, it asks you to squeeze the insides out of the casing, so it ends up like mince IYKWIM?

Chicken, spinach & mushroom (baby spinach)

Chicken, leek & asparagus

Bacon, Pea & Mushroom (with truffle oil if you have it)

Duck & asparagus

We have a basic stock/rice ration I think its 2 cups of rice to 6 cups of stock or 8 cups depending on how creamy you want it...

You can always add soft cheese, cream cheese etc at the end too...

ETA: OH also basic risotto instructions:

Fry up onion/leeks (whatever) salt & pepper, add rice and cook off until almost clear (or they are clear), add a cup of white wine (if you like optional) and then start with first ladle of stock, I heat up my stock and put in a ladle at a time. Once its been absorbed add another ladle full. Some risottos require you to stir constantly (usually the ones that use more stock) and others require not so much stirring (those more clear and less creamy). Its a personal thing when it comes to risotto. I normally brown other meats in a pan, or brown the meats in the pan I'm using for the risotto first (so to transfer flavours). Add the meats half way through cooking the risotto along with the peas/asparagus/mushrooms if its spinach because it cooks quickly you can add it towards the end. You can also add garlic at the start and lemon rind at the end... play with the tastes to get what you want. Once you have a base recipe you can play with it as much as you like. Using different stocks, flavours etc

*hugs*
Cailin

I do a mean pumpkin risotto... my recipe is basically just like Cailins..

I brown some pumpkin, garlic & onion in the fry pan (around 200gms chopped pumpkin, 1 clove garlic crushed & 1 brown onion diced) with olive oil until browned. Then I add 1-2 cups arborio rice and cook until white spots appear in the middle (generally a minute). Next I add 1 cup dry white wine until absorbed, then 1 ladelfull chicken stock until absorbed. Near the end, I add 1 tablespoon chopped sage & then once the rice is plump & ready I add 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese and pepper to taste. mmmm.....

Oooo Christy I might have to steal that :) Sounds divine!

*hugs*
Cailin

Cailin

You've discovered the joys of truffle oil too, hey?

Isn't it addictive? We use it on home made pizzas (proscuitto, basil and boccocini) and a little drizzle over roasts as well...mmmmmm...

Love it...but have become very picky about the brand we use...

My DH did a risotto the other week...gorgeous!

It was seafood marinara, marscapone, fennel shavings and truffle oil...

Delightful and decadent!

truffle oil? :eek: never heard of it....Should I have?

Mmm - i LOVE making risotto's - they are Ella's faves too :) I always put part stock and part white wine - it is delish. I also made a really nice mixed mushroom and chestnut risotto that used beef stock and red wine.

i think it's oil from the truffle mushrooms. I think it's very privcey BUt very tasty- i would have no idea where to buy it though!!

Monnie, yes I do love truffle oil! Its a type of fungus grown in europe... the truffles themselves to me taste like a walnut/parmesan cross (although its supposed to be a mushroom relative). They are quite expensive (I recently heard there is a place in aus that grows them too). You can get white and black truffle oil, and it can start at $30 a bottle and go up to $200/$500. You don't need very much, like sesame oil it is quite pungent and if you aren't careful it can overpower a dish. Its great in mash potato & scrambled eggs, along with soups and risottos & pastas.

I did have an expensive bottle of white truffle oil, but now we have a pretty average brand of black truffle oil, I don't use it often enough to have found a brand in particular so monnie any tips would be great!

Would definitely recommend it Danni, most Deli's sell it. Otherwise as you are in vic, I would recommend The essential Ingredient in Prahran for the good stuff, they actually sell truffles too!

ETA: Our $30 bottle lasts forever... you use 1/4 tsp at a time maybe?

*hugs*
Cailin

Yeah...our bottle is about $35.

It's an Italian brand called Terrabianca, Olio aromatico al tartufo and it actually has a little truffle segment sitting at the bottom of the bottle. I've tried a few truffle oils as this is the best by far. In Perth, it's stocked at Simon Johnson and Mondos (gourmet butcher) though it might also be elsewhere...

When I was in Sydney, we bought it at Peters at Kensington...

As has been mentioned, you only use the tiniest bit as it is pretty potent...A bottle should last 6 months...even if you are using it pretty regularly.

It is gorgeously delicious...wonderful as a tiny little drizzle over pasta, a little over a roast...mmmm...going to have some tonight!

We went to the wine and truffle farm in Manjimup (South West WA) recently. They grow their truffles which are worth huge amounts/kilo (but they are also incredibly difficult to grow).

Yum!

Slice chicken in little bits fry in oil. Take out. Add chopt onions, red capsicum chopt and frozen peas. Add two cups risotto rice, Add a cup of vegie stock and cook on low stirring. Keep adding cups of vegie stock till rice is cook. Add chicken.

At the end, add parmesan cheese.

Delish!