I have to say that one of my favorite Italian dishes is Risotto. Always creamy, hot and sprinkled with a bit of cheese, it can be vegetarian, loaded with chunks of chicken or meat, or topped with seafood. One of the most unusual types of Risotto I have tasted was made with turnip greens. Evn though it was neon green, it still tasted great, but it was nowhere near as delicious as the pumpkin risotto topped with grated bitter chocolate that we ate at Hotel 47, in Via Petroselli.
Risotto is a stirred rice dish. Unlike American white rice which is long and thin, Arborio rice is short, fat and very starchy. These qualities, as well as the additions of cream, butter and cheese, make the rice in Risotto float in a creamy sauce. This occurs because the constant stirring breaks down the outer layer of the rice, letting the starch thicken in the broth which the risotto cooks in. And the starch binds to the butter, cream and cheese.
However, I have found a trick to making a great and healthy, low-fat (high -fiber) Risotto.
It features zuchini, so of course my children won't eat it; they won't even walk in the kitchen when they see me chopping a zuchini! However, it's the zuchini which makes the dish creamy and low fat; it is also one of the cheapest vegetables and can be found year-round in excellent condition.
By pureeing the zuchini with part of the chicken (or vegetable) stock used for cooking the rice, you get a thick and creamy sauce without the addition of fats.
And since Italy is extremely short of healthy fiber for dietary use (white bread, white pasta, white rice, white sugar) I added barley to up the fiber content and give more texture; you could try to use brown rice to make Risotto, but believe me, it just doensn't quite come out right. Think the consistancy of clay used in high school cermaics classes...ew.
Here is the recipe for Rice and Barley Risotto with Creamy Zuchini
* Two small zuchini or 1 large (be prepared to scoop the seeds from a larger Zuchini)
Stem end removed, and chopped into 1" chunks
* Olive oil
* 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
* 1 cup arborio rice
* 1/2 cup medium barley
* 1/2 cup white wine, any variety you like to drink
* 2 and 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
* 1 tsp. dried parsley
* 1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
* 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
* 2 tsp. butter (optional)
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese (Or Grana Padano, if you can get it) plus extra to sprinkle on top
Heat 1 tbls. olive oil in a large pan. Add zuchini and saute over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes. Add chicken or vegetable stock and seasonings. Lower heat to a simmer.
In a separate pot, heat 1 tbls. olive oil. Lightly saute the rice and barley for one minute; deglaze with the wine. Lower heat and cover. When the liquid has almost entirely been absorbed, ladle (I use a soup ladle which holds just over 1/2 cup) enough stock into the rice/barley to re-wet the mixture, taking care NOT to add any chunks of zuchini. Lower heat to lowest setting, stir and cover. Repeat this process every 3-5 minutes, or whenever the liquid appears to have been absorbed by the grains. Take care to stir the rice well when adding the stock - it needs to have the outer layer release some starch.
You really can't over-stir; just remember to put the lid back on the pot!
When about 1 cup of broth remains in the pan with the zuchini, you need to blend/ puree the remaining mixture. Remove from heat, and use a hand blender OR food processor or blender to puree all the zuchini. (For food processors and blenders, this can be dangerous with hot liquids: take care to ONLY FILL the mixer/ blending pitcher half full and cover the lid with a towel. Hot liquids in full mixers have a tendency to shoot out of the cracks where the lid meets the main container. Pulse 2-3 times for 10 seconds)
Add all the blended stock into the grains, stiring to mix well. Cover and let simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed.
The risotto will be ready when the rice is cooked and it floats in a thick creamy sauce. At this time, turn off the heat. You can add the butter, stirring constantly so that it doesn't separate in the sauce; then stir in the grated cheese in the same fashion. Serve and sprinkle with extra cheese, if desired. Makes 4-6 large servings of risotto.
However, DON'T use black pepper on top of this risotto - it is too strong for zuchini and will cover up the taste; use a bit of white pepper or sprinkle a little red pepper on top, if you must. This dish does not have added salt, so if you don't use the cheese called for in the recipe, you may need to add salt.
The next time I make this dish, I will take a picture and post it here.
After all that, I can happily report that we DID NOT go to Egypt as I told some people I might be; we are going instead to Istanbul, were I can visit the Egyptian Spice Bazaar and come up with something else to snack on. We leave on Sunday and will be there for a week.
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