Tilapia and Risotto
2001-08-06 @ 10:51 p.m.
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I wrote most of this Sunday night planning to post it this morning, but I didn't have time. I figured that while Badsnake was gone I would wind up with lots of time to myself that I needed to fill. But Jake has kept me pretty busy (GRIN). I miss my girl, but I'm having a lot of fun, too.
Sunday, Aug. 5
Badsnake is still gone and I miss her.
But on a brighter note, Jake and I had one hell of a sleep-over last night! Thanks to Sara I didn't have to sleep alone. And thanks to Jake I slept quite well thank you. And I woke up quite nicely, too. It was almost like one of our trips but without having to spend the bucks on a hotel. We had gobs of fabulous sex and then we went for a bicycle ride. This afternoon we hauled our bikes up to the Silver Comet Trail, a Rails-to-Trails bicycle trail transformed from a railroad track. Guess what that means? It's almost flat. Great riding. It's outside the city, too, so it's quiet and tree-lined for most of the trail. We went to the far end, almost as far away from Atlanta as we could get, so we had a nice ride through the trees. It was a very warm day, but we had enough of a breeze and shade to keep us from passing out from heat exhaustion.
To cap such a wonderful weekend we had a bit of fish (I've been watching too much of The Naked Chef in the last couple of days) and risotto.
The tilapia was so easy, but great. Spray a little olive oil in a skillet and plop the fillets in. Salt and pepper and a few squirts of lime juice. Cook on each side until it's flaky.
I love to cook risotto, only it turns out I've been cooking it wrong all this time. I've been using Basmati rice, because we like it. But you're supposed to use Arborio. Last night the Naked Chef finally told me why. Risotto makes its own bonding agent by loosening up the starch on the rice when you stir it in the oil. Basmati doesn't do that. I watched it carefully tonight. Well, I still like the risotto I've been making, and so does the rest of the family. But I'll have to try it with Arborio to see what it's supposed to be like.
Risotto isn't as hard as it seems. It's just takes constant attention, at least until you start adding the broth. So make it when you're cooking other dishes that don't take so much attention. First you put olive oil and or butter in a deep, heavy skillet and heat it. Add chopped onions, shallots, and/or garlic, depending on your recipe. Cook until translucent. Add the rice and stir it around until it's coated with the oil/butter. Put in wine if you are using it. Then start adding warm chicken broth (or other broth). You should have a pot of broth simmering next to the skillet ready to add a little bit at a time. Keep stirring. If you are adding vegetables, they can go in sometime during this process, depending on how much cooking time they need. I have made it with mushrooms, spinach, scallions, and probably other things I can't remember right now. When the rice becomes just tender, take it off the eye and add grated parmesan cheese.
There are so many recipes for risotto out there. The important thing to remember is to pay attention to it. It is a jealous lover. Even if you walk away to chop the next ingredient you might wind up with burnt rice or onions. It also helps to have a girlfriend in the kitchen who has been sexually satisfied and loves risotto. She will happily stir for you while you chop or finish the fish.
Tonight's risotto included:
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 shallot, chopped fine
1 cup rice
1/2 cup white wine
4 or 5 cups chicken broth
4 caps portobello mushrooms, chopped
4 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (or more)
Salt and pepper to taste
The wine was Albarino, a light to medium-bodied, very crisp Spanish white wine. Sauvignon Blanc would also have been an appropriate match.
The three of us had a nice time together. But there was an empty chair at the head of the table. We had all had a long day, so we called it a night pretty early.
P.S. Sara has agreed to loan Jake to me for another sleep-over Tuesday night. I'm all a-twitter with anticipation.
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