chocolate malted risotto

about last night...

hubster and i returned from our stay at a farm

watching lambs being born

bottle feeding those yet able to get their fill

eating glorious fresh food

hoarding

a small taste of what we hope our lives will be

soon

not the lamb part

but 

a reason to be tethered

to our home

as we rolled in

to our lives in the city

i felt a yearning

for something warm and satisfying

and 

chocolatey

to comfort me

in my passage from

what will be

to

what is

this

warm, creamy and malted

risotto

was like a warm woolly blanket

for my heart

chocolate malted risotto

(printable recipe)

1 Tbs unsalted butter

1 cup arborio rice

3 1/2 cups milk--warmed on the stove

pinch kosher salt

2 Tbs granulated sugar

1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate--cut into bits

1/4 cup + 2 Tbs malted milk powder

1 tsp vanilla

heavy cream for garnish

cocoa nibs for garnish

additional malted powder for garnish

melt the butter over low heat in a sided pan large enough to hold the rice in a thin layer.  once the butter is melted, toss in the rice and stir to evenly coat the rice.  allow the rice to cook for just a couple of minutes before you begin to add the milk. increase the heat to low-medium.  add 1/2 cup of milk at first and stir until the milk is almost completely absorbed.  now begin to add the milk, just until it covers the top layer of rice but not more than a cup at a time.  allow the rice to absorb the milk, but come in to stir quite frequently. when the milk has almost completely absorbed, add the next amount.  after you have done the second addition, stir in the sugar and salt, then add the third addition.  cook until the rice is soft, but with just a little hint of a bite, you do not want it to be crunchy or chewy.  remove from heat and add the chocolate and vanilla. stir until the chocolate is completely melted and incorporated.  serve warm with a bit of heavy cream and dusted with malted milk powder and cocoa nibs. serves 4.

mushroom risotto

i have been on a family vacation 

and most of the kids in the family

are very interested in cooking

i therefore,

never lack for kitchen assistants

but for this risotto

i was the assistant

to the two oldest boys

who turned out

a very blog-worthy

dinner

this makes a very large portion

as we are a big family

with healthy appetites

just adjust for your specific needs

Mushroom Risotto
(printable recipe)

4 Tbs unsalted butter

3 Tbs olive oil

1/3 cup minced shallot

3 cloves garlic--finely minced

3 cups arborio rice

1 1/2 cups dry white wine (or cognac or vermouth)

9-10 cups chicken broth--warmed

2 cups sliced then chopped crimini mushrooms

2 Tbs reduced balsamic vinegar (heat 4 Tbs over low heat until it reduces by half)

finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon

juice of 1/2 lemon

6 chives-- finely snipped with kitchen scissors

1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

salt and pepper to taste

in the bottom of a large pot, melt the butter with the olive oil.  add the garlic and shallots and stir until they become translucent.  dump in the rice and stir until all the grains are glistening.  pour in the white wine and stir until the rice has absorbed all the liquid.  begin adding the chicken broth about 2 cups at a time and slowly stir until all the liquid has absorbed.  do not let the rice get completely dry before adding the next 2 cups. *you do not have to continually stir, but keep an eye on it...the stirring is what gives the risotto its creamy texture. the stirring releases the starches.  when you have about 2-3 cups of broth left, toss the mushrooms into the risotto and stir.  add the last of the broth and stir to absorb.  the rice should be firm, but not crunchy.  toss in the lemon zest, the balsamic, the chives and the parmesan.  taste for salt and pepper.  

I am linking to

 Tuesday Night Supper Club

and 

Two for Tuesdays
and
Tuesdays at the Table

Tuesday Night Supper Club

I've started a Supper Club. A Supper Club of 1.
In an attempt to get out of the rut of my basic standby meals, I am going to try a new recipe on Tuesdays.
Most of the recipes will be what I can put together with items from the larder (don't you just love that word?) The first time I ever heard it used in every day language was when staying in a hotel in Kirkland, Washington called The Woodmark.  They had this evening event called "raid the larder." It was a great take on the midnight snack.
The only other time I raided the "larder" in a hotel, was in Spain or maybe Portugal and I was in college.  But for clarification, I didn't actually go into the kitchen, I did however, participate in eating what was procured. This event was not sanctioned by the UN nor the hotel itself.  The daring participants accessed the kitchen and "borrowed" large tubs of  ice cream and a big wheel of cheese.  Mind you, this was well over 20 years ago, so don't hold me to the details.  What I do remember however is that we collectively finished off all the ice cream in the place....and then littered the evidence.  If I reveal any more, it might become an international incident, and I'm not one to get my fellow students in trouble.
Again, I was a bystander
...a bystander with a spoon.

So for my first Tuesday Night Supper Club meal I made risotto.

Risotto with Shrimp and Tomatoes

Serves 2 as a main course

2 Tbs olive oil

1 tsp unsalted butter

8-10 nice size shrimp--raw

1 large shallot, finely chopped

1 cup carnaroli or arborio rice

2 oz sweet vermouth *

4-5 cups chicken broth--bring to a simmer on the stove

2 Tbs chopped chives

6-7 basil leaves--chiffonade

lots of pepper to taste

salt to taste

1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1-3 Tbs cream **

Heat a high sided skillet over medium heat.  Meanwhile, peel and clean shrimp. Mine were frozen so I popped them into my chicken broth (which I also had in the freezer) to defrost but not cook.   Add olive oil to the hot pan and quickly stir fry the shrimp.  It is best to slightly undercook them at this point.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Add butter to pan and a bit more oil if it seems it needs it.  Toss in the shallots and cook until just translucent, do not brown.  Butter may brown a bit, but that is okay.  Toss in the rice and stir to completely coat in the fats.  Don't move too fast.  While you don't want to toast the rice to brown, you want to warm it up.  

Now the fun begins.  Let me start by saying...risotto shouldn't take you all day to make.  When making this recipe, I had it on the table in 20 minutes.

Pour in the vermouth*.  Stir with a wooden spoon..don't know if this is essential, but I have such great luck with a wooden spoon that I am passing that it on.  Make sure your fire isn't too high. It should be between low and medium.  Stir until the vermouth is almost gone. You want the liquid to be minimal, but not completely dry before you start to add the broth.  Be sure your broth is hot.  Begin adding it to the rice about a cup at a time.  Add the broth, stir until the rice is evenly spread in the pan and is beginning to absorb.  Then stir a bit more.  Then give it a minute by itself.  Then stir again.  Then give it a minute, then stir.  Once you see it getting tight, add more broth...and start the procedure all over again. After the second addition of broth, add the chives and tomatoes.  The stirring process gives you a bit of a gravy.  You know it is done when you take a bite and find the rice firm but not hard.  It should not be crunchy at all, but it shouldn't mush in your mouth.  Once it is done, add the cream**.  Stir to incorporate and then add the basil and parmesan cheese. Check for salt and pepper. Stir in the shrimp and let heat all the way through.  Serve and enjoy!

* I used sweet vermouth because I thought it would work nicely with the shrimp.  But you can use dry vermouth or white wine.  

**addition of cream is just a decadence that isn't essential.  Skip it if you want.

Also...I admit I do something with my risotto that isn't in any book...but it works for me.  When I see that the risotto is getting close--just the center is al dente, I add about a 1/4 of a cup of broth and stir once and walk away.  It can sit that way for 10 minutes or more.  Once I am ready to serve and plate, I fire up the burner again, add a bit more broth and finish the dish.

ps. you might see pearl onions in my photo. I added them to the broth and then threw them into the dish for fun.  Didn't love em...but if you wanted to roast them and add them, I think it would be delicious.

Email me if you want to be a guest host of the Tuesday Night Supper Club. I would love to hear what you do faced with a stove and a handful of ingredients.  I would especially love to know if you try a supper club dish and what you thought.

Eat up...