Risotto


Risotto, originally uploaded by D.Andrea.


This recipe is from my newly aquired "Apples for Jam" recipe book. It's a great book and has alot of recipes that I'll add to my regular cooking. I love that it uses stuff I allready have on hand so I'm not running around trying to find some kind of elusive herb that is "essential" to a dish. It's organized by colour which is a little wierd but I kind of like it. The book also makes me want to drop everything and move to the Italian countryside while my children ramble about in open fields playing fairies as I rattle about in our century old villa, state of the art kitchen of course, imagining what yummy things I will prepare next to fill up my family. Sounds good right? Sigh.

2 3/4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 french shallots (I used 1 small white onion)
1.4 cups risotto rice
1/2 cup white wine (I made it without and it was great)
4 cups hot vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
3 tablespoons grated parmesan
about 8 fresh sage leaves if you have them
4 eggs at room temperature

In a heavy bottom pan suitable for risotto, heat half the butter and 2 tblsp olive oil. Saute onion untill golden then add rice, stirring so that all of the rice gets coated and starts to go a little translucent on the corners. Add wine and after it evaporates
add all the broth with a few grinds of nutmeg and salt if required. Simmer uncovered on high heat about 15 min, or untill rice has absorbed the liquid stirring often. Make sure to try rice to see of it's cooked. If it needs more liquid add hot water. Remove from heat and stir in remaining butter and some parmesan. Leave with lid on so that the steam will continue to cook while you do the eggs.

Heat some oil in a nonstick pan and quickly fry the sage until crisp, remove. Then continue to fry your eggs, untill golden on outside. I don't like my yolk overly runny so I usually cook mine with a lid on pan. Serve egg on top of rice with a sprinkle of parmesan and salt/pepper if needed. And the sage leaves.

This mostly white dish is pretty popular with the toddler set. If it was up to my 3 year old she would be on an all-white diet, with the occasional allowance for red tomato sauce. This was fast and yummy, great for a quick hot lunch.

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