Red chicory risotto

This creamy risotto has the special bitterness of the red chicory and the nice smoky smell of the scamorza cheese.

It takes nearly half an hour to make a good risotto, the time necessary to cook the rice. 

But I can also suggest a short-cut, purist would have to blame to me for that, but  in this case, 4+6 minutes in the pressure cooker instead of 25-30 minutes, give fantastic results, without affecting the original taste. 

In this case I took pictures of the recipe when I made a single portion, while I give the recipe for 4 people. Your quantities will be bigger.

Also, I will describe both versions, so you can try them both and decide which you like most! 

Risotto is a first course, not a side dish, so consider that you will have to increase a bit the quantities if it is your only dish.

Ingredients for 4

320 gr/ 0.71lb rice (carnaroli if possible) (or 400 gr/ 0.88lb)
butter
1 leek white part only finely chopped
1/2 glass white wine
1 red chicory
twice the weight of the rice of vegetable stock (SALTED)
250 gr/ 0.6 lb smoked scamorza (or any other smoked melting cheese)

How to:

Bring your vegetable stock to the boil and let it simmer on a low fire.

Wash your leek and slice it very thin.

Wash your red chicory as well as possible and cut it into thin slices.

Put 1 table spoon butter in a deep pan, use a good one with a thick bottom or your pression cooker, and let the butter melt over a medium heat.

Add the leek and let it cook for few minutes until soft.

Add the rice and stir well until it becomes translucent (2-3 minutes). Add the wine and let it evaporate quickly.

When dry, the first part of your risotto is over. You can do this part in advance if you like. Make sure that the wine evaporated completely.

Add the red chicory and stir again. Now. if you are cooking in the pressure cooker, double the weight of your rice and pour it all in the pan. It will cover the rice and the vegetables almost completely. Close the pan with its own lid.

Count 6 minutes from the first  whistle  and switch it off. Help the steam go out from the valve, mix well and add the cheese. Mix again, wait one minute and serve it.

If you are cooking it in the traditional way, add just a ladle of BOILING vegetable stock, let the rise absorb it stirring it well, before adding an other ladler of boiling stock.

Boiling stock will allow the rice to cook inside, it is very important that you keep it very hot. It will take about 17 minutes of adding and stirring. Taste it, when ready add the cheese, close with a lid for 1 minute and serve.

   

Ossobuco

The "osso buco" (bone with  a hole) is one of my daughter’s winter dishes, but as it takes at least 2 hours to cook, I usually prepare it on Sunday morning, while she sleeps and my husband plays basketball.

It is a typical dish of Northern Italy where tomatoes were not largely used. The original recipe has very little tomato, but as we like a lot the rewarding sauce of this dish, we prefer to add a little bit more to season the rice or polenta which comes with it.

The perfect side dish for Osso buco is Milanese Risotto (risotto alla Milanese) made with the best Carnaroli rice, but my girl does not like saffron as well so plain boiled rice could go.

Ingredients for 3 (not different for 4 except for the quantity of meat)

n. 3 slices of veal shank approx. 1 inch thick (or slices of turkey leg cleaned from the tendon). The bone must have its meat inside.

1 small carrot,

½ onion

1 stalk of celery as long as the carrot

flour

50 gr. Butter

2 cups of hot vegetable/meat stock (lightly salted)

150 ml tomato sauce

Salt and pepper

To finish (gremolata)

Grated zest of one lemon

½ cup of finely chopped parsley leaves

½ clove of grated garlic  (not mandatory)

How to:

1)    Chop the vegetables very finely by hand or in the food processor;

2)    Melt the butter and bring it to a light boil;

3)    Put the chopped vegetables in the butter and let them cook until the carrot becomes yellow and soft;

4)    In the meanwhile season the meat with salt and pepper on both sides and flower it;

5)    Put the meat in the pan and let it brown for 2-3 minutes, then turn without piercing it to brown the other side;

6)    Move the meat, raise the heat and add 1 ladle of stock and bring it to the boil. 

It should form a sort of thick sauce on the bottom of the pan. Add more  stock, cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for 10-15 minutes, turning the meat every now and then and mixing well the vegetables and sauce;

  7) After that, open the lid, the stock should be evaporated and add the tomato sauce. Bring to the boil again, and let it cool until the sauce is thick – mix it now and then to avoid the flour and vegetables to get stick to the pan;

   8) When ready, keep it warm, close the lid and prepare the finish, grating the zest of one lemon, the garlic and adding the chopped parsley;

9) Serve immediately with Risotto (see under) or plain rice;


Risotto alla Milanese

Ingredients for 4

If you are making it for the ossobuco, use a smaller quantity….

350 gr. Rice (Carnaroli or Arborio)

100 gr butter

1 shallots (40 grs. Approx) finely chopped

2 little envelops Italian saffron or pistils of saffron

1 liter of HOT meat stock (salted)

1 glass white wine

50

1 the meat inside the bone – if you can find it.
50 gr. of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (shredded)

How to:

1)     Put half of the butter in a heavy pan hand let it melt. Add the chopped shallot and let it get soft. Add the meat inside bone and let it melt it;

2)     Add the rice and toast it for 2-3 minutes turning it with a wooden spoon;

3)     On a high heat put the wine and let it evaporate completely. Then add the 1/3 of the boiling stock and mix it well. Let the rice absorb it nearly completely and add more;

4)     When only 1 cup of stock is left, dissolve the saffron in it and pour it in the rice;

5)     Mix until completely dry;

6)     Switch the heat off, add the cheese and the remaining butter and mix sharply for few seconds, Let it rest for a minute or two.

7)     This is a great first course as well!