Saturday, June 11, 2011

Risotto. Another winter favourite.

Thanks to alphamatrix/Tadpole (who introduced the subject back in October), I’ve been obsessed with risotto for the past year..  I’ve discovered a few variations that I’m absolutely in love with, and will share them all here at some point in the near future.

Basic risotto can be a one-saucepan meal, which was a big help when that was exactly what I had to work with.  Now that I have my full kitchen again, I can play with a few more variations.  For now, though, I’ll share what I’ve learnt since alphamatrix showed us chicken and leek risotto.

I read recipe books and blogs as inspiration, but rarely follow recipes as they stand.  If I were hankering for risotto, I might do a quick search, read through a handful of promising examples, and get a feel for the general technique
.. then I pretty much just do my own thing!

In this case, the basics are as follows:  You need 2 cups of liquid to 1 cup of rice.  Toast the rice then temper with wine.  Add stock gradually, and pre-heat it for a more creamy risotto.  Add other ingredients as you see fit!
 

My version of leek and chicken to start with:

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I used chicken sausages.  These are oregano, lemon, and chicken sausages from a stall at my local market (South Melbourne).  I think they deserve a photo of their own, as thyey are fantastic:

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One large leek, or three baby ones.  Slice, rinse, and toss in a little oil until they start to soften.
Set aside, and make the basic risotto: I used an onion, a clove of garlic, and chicken stock.

Add the chicken (the pre-cooked sausages you saw earlier), and the leek.

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Serve hot.

1 comment:

  1. Ooh - sausage risotto.
    And I will happily take credit for getting people hooked on the awesomeness that is risotto. There's nothing wrong with fantastic meals in 20 minutes!

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