Michele-Carbone-New-Cover

Tag: risotto

Spinach Risotto

By

On April 20, 2021

In Risotto

Stirring The Pot With Giancarlo Gottardo 1

Dr. Michele Carbone with Giancarlo Gottardo, a famous chef and a very good friend.

Look—this is a great recipe, many people accustomed to other types of risotto will think I am out of my mind when they read it.  Just do it, and then if you do not like it, email me.

Good risotto requires two fundamental things:

  1. Good ingredients
  2. A willingness to “just stir the pot” and NOT text or answer the phone.

You need to pay attention to risotto as you cook it: you can’t be distracted by a lot of other things going on in the kitchen.  For that reason, I like having my family and guests with me in the kitchen as I prepare any of my risotto dishes.  As I stir the pot,  we all enjoy each other’s company.  By the time the risotto’s ready to be transferred to a serving dish, almost everyone in the kitchen has had a chance to stir the pot with me.

I do not particularly like greens, but I love this risotto.  I prefer making it with chicken broth, but if you have vegetarian guests, you can use vegetable broth and it will be almost as good.

Ingredients for 5-8 people

  • 1 pound of pear or cherry tomatoes, both yellow and red
  • ½ cup fresh mint, minced
  • 1 pound of fresh or frozen spinach, chopped
  • A pinch of nutmeg
  • 1 small or ½ medium sweet onion (the best is from Tropea, Italy, but if you are in the US, get a Vidalia or Maui onion) minced
  • 2 sticks of butter
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 2-3 liters of chicken or vegetable broth
  • ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil, and separately a spoon of it
  • About 1 pound (450 g) of Italian rice: “Carnaroli”
  • Salt, olive oil and butter, hot pepper (the best from Calabria, followed by Hawaii, Thai pepper, etc.)
  • 200 grams (8 ounce) of freshly-grated Parmigiano cheese

Preparation

  1. If you are using frozen spinach, take it out of the freezer so that it starts to melt.
  2. Put broth in a stock pot and bring it to a boil. Once it boils, lower the heat and cover the stock pot. The liquid needs to stay very hot as you incorporate it in the recipe.
  3. Cut the pear or cherry tomatoes into halves and put them in a large bowl. Add ½ cup olive oil and salt.  Mix it gently and put the bowl into the refrigerator for use after the risotto is finished.
  4. In a large skillet or paella pan, add 1 stick of butter and 1 table spoon of olive oil. On medium heat, melt the butter until it combines with the olive oil.
  5. Add ½ of the chopped onion, and sauté just until the onion starts to become translucent.
  6. Increase heat to high. Add 1 or more minced hot peppers and the frozen/melted spinach, mix constantly for 4 minutes.  Remove from heat and add salt and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg.  Mix well and transfer to a bowl.
  7. Using the same large skillet, add half stick of butter and 1 TB of olive oil. Heat on medium until the butter is melted.
  8. Add the other ½ chopped onion and sauté until the onion becomes slightly translucent.
  9. Bring heat to high, add the Italian rice and mix, using a wooden spoon, for about 3 minutes.
  10. Add the white wine and allow it to incorporate for about 30 seconds.
  11. Add the spinach to the pan and mix well.
  12. Add broth, 1 cup at a time, until it incorporates, continuing to stir the rice so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. As the broth incorporates, add the next cup of broth. Continue stirring and adding broth until the rice is cooked.  It usually takes about 20 to 25 minutes.
  13. Remove the pan from the heat and add the freshly grated Parmigiano cheese, stirring gently.
  14. Transfer the risotto to a serving plate, then pour the chilled tomato mixture over the top of the risotto.
  15. Sprinkle with minced mint and serve.
  16. Buon appetito!

Italiano: Risotto con gli spinaci.  Ingredienti per 6-8 persone

Guarda, questa è un’ottima ricetta, molte persone abituate ad altri tipi di risotto penseranno che sono fuori di testa quando lo leggono. Fallo e poi se non ti piace scrivimi.

 

Ingredienti

  • 1/2 kg pomodorini, sia gialli che rossi (meglio quelli a pera)
  • ½ tazza di menta fresca, tritata
  • ½ kg di spinaci, freschi o congelati, tritati
  • 1 cipolla dolce piccola o ½ media (la migliore è di Tropea, in Italia, ma se sei negli Stati Uniti, prendi una cipolla Vidalia o Maui) tritata
  • 1 cup (225 ml) di vino bianco
  • 2-3 litri di brodo di pollo o vegetale
  • 115 g di burro non salato (un bastoncino di burro)
  • Circa ½ cup, più 1 cucchiaio, di olio extravergine di oliva
  • 1/2 kg di riso “Carnaroli”, o Vallone Nano, o riso Arborio superfino
  • Sale, olio d’oliva e burro, peperoncino piccante calabrese, o altro
  • Circa 1 cup, 225 g, di parmigiano grattugiato fresco

Preparazione

Ricetta “strana” ma buonissima, provare per credere.

  1. Circa mezzo Kg di pomodorini piccoli, meglio se mischiati gialli e rossi (Forza Roma). Aggiungere un po’ (una tazzina di caffè) di olio e sale e mettere in frigo.
  2. Squagliare circa 100 g di burro e un cucchiaio di olio d’oliva, soffriggere mezza cipolla dolce finché diviene traslucida, poi aggiungere 1 o più – a gusto– peperoncini piccanti, e circa mezzo Kg di spinaci.  Io uso quelli surgelati a pezzetti perché sono ottimi oppure spinaci freschi, prima cotti 10 minuti in acqua bollente.  Spegnere il fuoco e aggiungere un cucchiaino da te di noce moscata tritata.
  3. Squagliare circa 100 g di burro e 1 cucchiaio d’olio, aggiungere ½ cipolla dolce, appena diviene traslucida alzare il fuoco e aggiungere circa 500 g di riso, mischiare bene per 3 minuti, aggiungere un bicchiere di vino bianco, 30 secondi.
  4. Aggiungere un po’ alla volta mestoli di brodo vegetale o di pollo –il pollo è più saporito ma se avete ospiti vegetariani il brodo vegetale –vedi la mia ricetta– va benissimo, fino a che il riso è pronto, circa 20 minuti –attenzione se il brodo è salato giusto non serve aggiungere sale altrimenti mettete un po’ di sale.  Spegnere il fuoco.
  5. Aggiungere circa 200 gr di Parmigiano grattugiato al momento, incorporare, mettere su piatto di portata.
  6. Coprire con i pomodori (vedi punto 1) e mezza cup di menta tritata al momento.
  1. Buon appetito!

 

Risotto prepared with funghi porcini

Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms

By

On April 20, 2021

In Risotto

Last August, when I was visiting family friends in Cellara, a small village in the Sila mountains where my family is from, my host brought out a basket of freshly-picked Porcini mushrooms.

Porcini Mushrooms

Fresh Porcini Mushrooms

 

We cooked them together and they were wonderful.

Cooking fresh porcini

Michele Carbone and Armando cook fresh Porcini mushrooms

While the dried Italian porcini mush
rooms are not as good as those freshly picked and eaten in the mountains of Calabria, they are still wonderful.  You may find them in the gourmet sections of your market.  Be careful: there are lots of “fake Italian porcini” for sale.  If the box says “packed in Italy”, and does not specify from where the porcini are from, it means they were imported in Italy from Yugoslavia or other country and packed in Italy to sell them at higher price by fooling you into thinking those are the Italian porcini.

If you cannot find the “Italian funghi porcini”, you can try this recipe with the Yugoslavia porcini or other mixed dried mushrooms—but the flavor will not be quite the same

Risotto is a classic Northern Italian preparation for their famous Arborio and Carnaroli rice products.  I prefer the Carnaroli risotto rice if you can find it, because it is a little starchier than Arborio; it’s less likely to get mushy if you overcook it.  Usually you need to look for the risotto rices in the gourmet sections of the market, although Amazon.com also has a variety of Italian rices available

So here is how you make risotto

Now for many years I thought I made the best risotto with porcini, until I ate it at “Papa` Giovanni” a restaurant in Roma near the Senate (strongly recommend you eat there!).  I called the host, Daniela, and told her: your risotto is better than mine.  How do you make it?  She told me she uses olive oil instead of butter, garlic rather than onion—I was surprised, to say the least.  I tried and it worked great, so I modified the recipe.  Here it is:

Ingredients for 5-7 people – depending on how much you eat!

  • About 50 grams dried funghi porcini (Porcini mushrooms)
  • 1⁄3 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1 handful of minced Italian flat-leaf parsley
  • 1-2 spicy Calabria pepper, or a Thai, or Hawaiian pepper or other
  • Salt and freshly grated black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup of freshly grated Parmigiano cheese
  • 1 TB butter
  • 3 ½ cups of risotto, Carnaroli preferred (1 box of 450 grams)
  • About 1.5 liters homemade chicken broth (or vegetable if you do not have chicken broth), brought to a low boil in a medium sized saucepan (this is incorporated in the risotto)

Preparation

  1. In a small bowl –enough to submerge the mushrooms, soak the dried funghi porcini in chicken broth water for about 30 minutes.
  2. Heat the chicken broth to a low boil (I do not recommend vegetable broth) in a pot. Keep the broth on a low boil or simmer throughout the recipe; the broth is incorporated into the rice one cup at a time, and it must be very hot when it is added.
  3. In a large heavy pan, add 1⁄3 cup olive oil, and 2 cloves of smashed garlic and sauté it gently until the garlic takes on a golden color.
    1. While the garlic is being sautéed, squeeze the water/broth from the mushrooms that have been soaking and chop them. Reserve the water/broth so that you can incorporate it into the risotto later.
  4. Discard the garlic and add the finely-chopped parsley and spicy pepper (chopped very fine). Allow the flavors to combine for 30 seconds on low heat. Reserve a little bit of the chopped parsley for a garnish when you serve the risotto.
  5. Add the risotto, bringing the heat to medium. Toast the risotto in the pan for 2 minutes, stirring so that each grain of rice is coated in the oil. The grains of rice should begin to cook—you’ll see kind of a white dot in the center of each grain, indicating that it’s read for the next step.  If you do not see it,  well, do not worry about the dot, after 2 minutes it is ready!
  6. Add the chopped dried mushrooms and stir with the risotto for 1 minute or so.
  7. Add 1 cup of white wine, and continue to stir until the wine has been incorporated (30 seconds)
  8. Now start adding the heated broth, using a scoop or ladle to add it to the pan with the rice, 1 cup at a time. Keep stirring the risotto as it incorporates the broth.  You stir to make sure that each grain of rice is exposed to the broth and heat as it cooks.  I also re-heat the reserved water/broth from the soaked porcini and add that liquid to the pan as well, since it provides more of the mushroom flavor to the risotto.
  9. Continue adding broth, 1 cup at a time, until the risotto is ready. This usually takes about 20 – 25 minutes.  The risotto should be slightly firm – you don’t want it to get mushy. remember that it will continue to cook for a little bit after you turn the fire off, so turn off the heat 2 minutes before you think the risotto is ready.
  10. When the heat is off, the risotto is ready. Stir in the optional butter and about ½ cup of the grated Parmigiano.  If you have truffle butter, use that instead of regular butter– it adds a delicious, savory aroma that infuses the risotto.
  11. Sprinkle with the reserved chopped parsley. Put the rest of the grated Parmigiano in a small bowl so that you can serve at the table, allowing your guests to add more to their risotto if they like.  (Americans tend to use more Parmigiano on their pastas and risottos than Italians)

Wines: Barbaresco or Barolo, (10+ years old or older opened at least 12 hours earlier), or if you find it, try this one that I had the other day and that is outstanding Langhe Nebbiolo Cascina Luisin 2014, same grape as the other (Nebbiolo) but much less expensive, and opening it 1 hour in advance will do it.

Italiano: Risotto con Funghi Porcini

Il risotto ai porcini richiede brodo di pollo fatto in casa –pure quello vegetale va bene se non avete quello di pollo, porcini veri, tanto amore e poco o niente burro.

  1. Soffriggere aglio in olio (80 ml di olio) rimuovere aglio aggiungere prezzemolo e peperoncino, 30 secondi, aggiungere riso -450 grammi per 4 – 7 persone- cuocere a fuoco medio/alto 2 minuti, aggiungere i porcini freschi, oppure se secchi rinvenuti per 10 minuti almeno o di più in un po’ di brodo e poi strizzati.
  2. Fuoco forte 1 minuto.
  3. Aggiungere 1 bicchiere di vino bianco, fuoco forte, 1 minuto massimo, poi il resto dell’acqua in cui avere rinvenuto i porcini –sarà 1 cup, cioe` circa 236 ml—e poi abbassando un po’ il fuoco a medio/alto un po’ per volta brodo di pollo
  4. Spegnere il fuoco 1 – 2 minuti prima che è pronto–il risotto continuerà a cuocere un po’.

Vino ideale, vedi sopra, se possibile Barbaresco di 15-20 anni.

Risotto with Fresh Mushrooms

By

On April 20, 2021

In Risotto

Risotto with Fresh Mushrooms

If you have some good fresh mushrooms, you can make a fantastic risotto using a variation of the recipe for the funghi porcini.  My friend Arty brought over some Chanterelle mushrooms, which provide a nutty, bright taste.  I combined them with a few dried porcini mushrooms to intensify the flavor.

Risotto With Chanterelle Mushrooms 1

Risotto with fresh Chanterelle Mushrooms

Many supermarkets now carry packages of “gourmet” or “chef’s choice” mushrooms, which provide exotic combinations of fresh mushrooms. They are all good in a risotto – the only mushroom you should consider carefully is the Shiitake mushroom, because its flavor is a little too strong for a risotto.

Ingredients for 4-6 people – depending on how much you eat!

  • A couple of handfuls of sliced fresh mushrooms (2-3 handfuls, depending on the number of people you are serving. 2 handfuls is enough for 4-6 people).
  • ¼ cup of dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in tepid broth for about 20 minutes (optional)
  • 1⁄3 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1 handful of minced Italian flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 spicy pepper, such as an Italian pepperoncino from Calabria or a Thai pepper
  • Salt and freshly grated black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup of freshly grated Parmigiano cheese
  • Optional: 50 g or so of butter (if you find truffle butter at your local market, and your guests all like the flavor of truffles,  use truffle butter instead of regular butter)
  • 3 ½ cups of risotto, Carnaroli preferred (1 box of 450 grams)
  • About 1 and half liter of chicken broth, brought to a low boil in a medium sized saucepan (this is incorporated in the risotto).

Preparation

  1. If you are also adding dried porcini mushrooms to the recipe, soak the dried funghi porcini in tepid/warm chicken broth for about 30 minutes.
  2. Slice the fresh mushrooms.
  3. Heat the chicken broth to a low boil in a pot. Keep the broth on a low boil or simmer throughout the recipe; the broth is incorporated into the rice one cup at a time: must be very hot when it is added.
  4. In a large heavy pan, add 1⁄3 cup olive oil and 2 cloves of smashed garlic. Sauté the garlic cloves gently until they take on a golden color.
    1. While the garlic is being sautéed, squeeze the broth from the mushrooms that have been soaking and chop them. Reserve the broth so that you can incorporate it into the risotto later.
  5. Discard the garlic and add the finely-chopped parsley and spicy pepper (chopped very fine). Allow the flavors to combine for 30 seconds to a minute on low heat. Reserve a little bit of the chopped parsley for a garnish when you serve the risotto.
  6. Add the risotto, bringing the heat to high. Toast the risotto in the pan for 1 and half minutes, stirring so that each grain of rice is coated in the oil.
  7. Add the chopped mushrooms and the chopped, reconstituted funghi porcini to the pot and continue stir continuously for about 2 and half minutes.
  8. Add 1 cup of white wine, and continue to stir until the wine has been incorporated and the alcohol evaporates (30 seconds or so).
  9. If you soaked the optional dried porcini mushrooms, add the broth they soaked in to the pan.  Stir the mushrooms and risotto until the broth is incorporated.
  10. Now start adding the heated broth, using a scoop or ladle to add it to the pan with the rice, 1 cup at a time. Keep stirring the risotto as it incorporates the broth.  You stir to make sure that each grain of rice is exposed to the broth and heats as it cooks.
  11. Continue adding broth, 1 cup at a time, until the risotto is ready. This usually takes about 20 – 25 minutes.  The risotto should be slightly firm – you don’t want it to get mushy. remember that it will continue to cook for a little bit after you turn the fire off, so turn off the heat 2 minutes before you think the risotto is ready.
  12. When the heat is off, add ½ cup of the grated Parmigiano and you may stir in the optional truffle butter.
  13. Sprinkle with the reserved chopped parsley. Put the rest of the grated Parmigiano in a small bowl so that you can serve at the table, allowing your guests to add more to their risotto if they like.  (Americans tend to use more Parmigiano on their pastas and risottos than Italians).

Wines: Barbaresco or Barolo, or other wine made with Nebbiolo grapes

Italiano

Italiano

Il risotto ai porcini o altri funghi freschi richiede brodo di pollo fatto in casa, porcini veri, tanto amore e poco o niente burro.

  1. Soffriggere aglio in olio (80 ml di olio) rimuovere aglio aggiungere prezzemolo e peperoncino, 30 secondi, aggiungere -450 grammi di riso carnaroli per 4 – 7 persone- cuocere a fuoco medio/alto 2 minuti, aggiungere i porcini freschi
  2. Fuoco forte 1 minuto.
  3. Aggiungere 1 bicchiere di vino bianco, fuoco forte, 1 minuto massimo, poi aggiungere il resto dell’acqua in cui avere rinvenuto i porcini –sarà circa “1 cup”, e poi abbassando un po’ il fuoco a medio/alto un po’ per volta brodo di pollo finché il risotto è quasi pronto.

Spegnere il fuoco 1 – 2 minuti prima che è pronto–il risotto continuerà a cuocere un po’, aggiungere parmigiano, pepe nero e se vi piace

 

Basic Chicken Broth (Basic, or light version)

By

On August 31, 2017

In Basics, Broths and Soups

My wife Betti makes all of the broths we use in our recipes.  We always have a store of frozen chicken, vegetable, and meat broths available because the flavor of these home-made broths is much richer and more intense than that of packaged broths.  If you have to buy a broth, look for an organic broth in your local market.  But I promise you, once you’ve made your own broth, you won’t go back to the store-bought variety.

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken
  • 2 carrots, chopped into large pieces
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped into large pieces
  • 1 white onion, quartered
  • 2 leeks, chopped into rounds (wash the leeks carefully to remove the grit)
  • ½ bunch fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 20 black peppercorns
  • A handful of salt
  • A bunch of fresh thyme – sometimes you can find a combined bunch of thyme and marjoram mixed together at the market, and you can use this bunch

How to Make this Recipe

  1. In a large stockpot (about 4 quarts of water), add cold water and all of the ingredients except the chicken.
  2. Bring to a boil for about 5 minutes, then lower the heat to a simmer and cover. Allow the vegetables to cook for about 40-45 minutes.
  3. Raise the heat to a boil and add the chicken (don’t add the giblets—you can reserve them for something else).
  4. Bring the heat to a boil over medium-high heat. Allow it to boil for about 5 minutes.
  5. Reduce the heat to a simmer, so that you see rolling bubbles every minute or two, but the water is not rapidly boiling.
  6. Partially cover, and allow to cook for about 1 hour. You can skim off any foam periodically, so that the resulting broth will be very clear.
  7. Remove the chicken from the pot, placing it into a large bowl or baking dish so that it can cool. Keep the broth on a low simmer until the chicken is cooled enough to pick the meat from the bones. Once it’s cooled, you can shred the meat from the bone and use it for another recipe—my favorite use for the shredded chicken is a variation of the Mediterranean Chicken Salad recipe from the classic cookbook The Silver Palate:  http://www.silverpalate.com/recipe/store-favorites/mediterreanian-chicken-salad
  8. Put the bones back into the broth and cook for another hour, partially covered, and always at a low boil.
  9. Strain the chicken broth once it’s cooled enough for use or storage.

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén