Risotto and Roast Chicken
2002-02-10 @ 5:31 p.m.
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[I started writing this on Wednesday, Feb. 6 and stopped about a third into it because I started getting too sick to concentrate. I have had the flu since then. Yesterday was the first day I was able to eat much of anything. Today I've had more energy, but all my girlfriends are keeping me from doing the housework that desperately needs to be done, so I'm finishing this instead.]
Perhaps your family was eating dinner in front of the TV last Sunday watching the Super Bowl. My girls got up from the table only to see the commercials. We apparently missed the best ones that came on in the early part of the game.
For dinner Sunday we had roast chicken with spinach and tomato risotto. I experimented with the roast chicken formula. In a small pan I heated olive oil and melted butter to which I added minced garlic, sage leaves and lemon pepper seasoning. I warmed it on low long enough for the flavors to meld together and then brushed it on the chicken. I lifted the skin off the breasts and brushed under the skin, making sure to leave garlic and sage between the skin and the meat. I also cut a slit in each leg's skin to do the same. You can loosen the skin of the chicken by gently running a finger under the skin as far as it will go. If you are careful the skin will stay attached at the edges and just loosen in the middle areas. I know we're not supposed to leave the skin on the chicken, but it just dries out too much if I remove it before roasting the chicken. If you want to take the skin off before you serve it, you can. Or you can just let your dinner companions decide whether they want to eat it or not. We're all adults here. We get to decide what kind of risks to take with our lives.
A few years ago I found a recipe for Risotto Milanese in an issue of Wine Spectator. I've been using that recipe ever since as my basis for whatever risotto I make. I have since acquired a tiny cookbook that is just risotto and rice dishes and a Marcella Hazan (writes fabulous Italian cookbooks) book with lots of recipes for risotto. But I always go back to the first one I used for guidance and comparison.
Recently, however, I learned that I've been doing it all wrong. When those recipes call for Arborio rice, they mean it. I asked a friend of mine who has a strong Italian background and CIA training (Culinary Institute of America, not the other one) what makes risotto risotto. I'd seen recipes that call for Parmesan cheese and those that don't and before that I'd thought it was the cheese that was important. She said it was the type of rice you use. I've always used Basmati rice, and I liked it just fine that way. But when I saw the Naked Chef make risotto, I had an epiphany. He was using Arborio and the rice was making a starchy residue in the pan as he stirred it. It was the starch coming loose from the rice, he explained, that creates the bond that makes risotto. Basmati isn't one of the kinds of rice that has that starchy cover to come loose when cooked.
So I tried Arborio. I still like Basmati better.
Risotto Milanese
1 med. onion, chopped
1 clove garlic finely chopped
2 tbsps olive oil
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/4 cups rice
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 bay leaf
generous pinch saffron threads, crushed with mortar & pestle
2 tbsps unsalted butter
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
salt and freshly ground pepper
In a wide flat saucepan, cook the onion and garlic in the olive oil over moderate heat. Meanwhile, in a second saucepan, heat the broth to simmering.
When the onion and garlic have softened, stir in the rice and coat it thoroughly. Stir in the wine until it is absorbed, but before that point add the bay leaf and saffron. Start ladling in the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until it is almost absorbed before adding the next ladle full.
After about 13 minutes, start the tasting the rice. When it no longer crunches, remove the rice from the heat. Add a little more liquid if necessary. Stir in the butter and cheese, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with additional Parmigiano to sprinkle at the table.
I love making risotto, and I especially love eating it. But be warned, it is a labor intensive dish. If you don't have air conditioning, I recommend against making it in the summertime since you are standing over the stove the whole time. (Although I've probably done that myself, willing to stand the heat for the desired dish.)
If I am making a variation, like the risotto with spinach and tomatoes, I often leave the saffron out. I added the fresh spinach just before the rice was done, giving it just enough time to wilt in the pan. I used about half a bag of salad spinach because it looked better than the spinach bunches that were available at the grocery store. I added three chopped Roma tomatoes at the end just before I removed it from the pan because I like the tomatoes in this to be still fresh and juicy. They make the rice just a tad pink, but not saucy. I add the cheese after I take it out of the pan and put it in a big bowl. I have had the privilege of using Parmegiano-Reggiano in this and other dishes thanks to a connection through my job. I have to admit that it really does make a difference. But most of the time I can't justify the cost. I do use the best block of domestic Parmesian I can find and grate it myself. I think that also makes a difference.
Wine: We had a couple of open bottles we needed to finish so we had both a dry ros� and an unoaked Chardonnay with this. Both went well. The Chardonnay was what I used in the rice because it was what I had on hand. I don't like to cook with an oaky Chardonnay because of its strong flavor. But then I don't really like oaky Chardonnay all that much anyway. If I have a choice, I'd rather cook with Sauvignon Blanc or a dry Reisling for white wine. I'm more flexible about cooking with red wine. They say don't cook with anything you wouldn't drink, but I've seen professional chefs buy 3 liter jugs of Gallo for their kitchens. I usually get the cheapest wine I can get that's palatable. Personally I don't cook with wine that I can't drink while I'm cooking. If the bottles open, I might as well have a glass.
As for Abbey's question about the wine in onion soup. If it doesn't specify red or white, I'd say you get to choose. Onion soup is something you could serve with either red or white wine, so I'd say you could probably cook it with either one. I'd probably use a dry white if I were choosing, maybe.
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