Each week I contribute a column to the Whole Foods Market Cooking Boulder Website expanding on one of the 10 Ways Tuesday ideas. Below is the original article from this week, a recipe for Risotto Rosso with Red Wine, Radicchio, and Smoked Mozzarella.
This week at La Domestique is dedicated to risotto, a method for cooking rice invented by the Italians. A fat, short-grain rice is necessary to achieve the creamy texture of risotto. Any of three rice varieties can be used: Arborio, carneroli, or vialone nano. One of my favorite risotto recipes, Risotto Rosso with Red Wine, Radicchio, and Smoked Mozzarella, comes from the Urban Italian cookbook, by Andrew Carmellini.
Chef Carmellini takes risotto seriously. In the book, he shares stories about differences between risotto cooked by his Italian American family and the risotto he learned while working in restaurants in the old country. His conclusion: everyone has their own opinion on the right way to make risotto. Chef Carmellini uses Arborio rice for a heavier winter risotto, like the recipe here, because it’s higher in starch and gives the risotto a rich, silky texture. Though the dish has a reputation for being labor-intense, and we picture hours spent stirring a pot, carefully ladling stock in a little at a time, this version can be on the table in less than half an hour. I found his method of pouring in half the stock at the beginning of the recipe, allowing the rice to completely absorb the liquid over about 7 minutes, then adding the other half of the stock to finish the risotto, yields the same results as carefully ladling in stock a little at a time.
Another tip I learned in Urban Italian is the importance of keeping your stock at a boil. Cooking risotto hot and stirring constantly is key to releasing starch from the rice. How do you know when the risotto is done? How do you identify that magical moment when balance between dry and soupy, undercooked and overcooked, has been achieved? The old Italian adage is that the risotto should move in waves, like the ocean, when stirred in the pot. Pourable but not soupy, is the way Alice Waters describes a finished risotto in Chez Panisse Vegetables. At this point, the risotto is taken off the heat and often doctored with butter and grated cheese. According to Chef Carmellini, this technique is called mantecare, and it’s essential for bringing the dish together.
Take what you’ve learned today and give Risotto Rosso with Red Wine, Radicchio, and Smoked Mozzarellaa try. The slightly bitter flavor of radicchio, a leafy red vegetable from the chicory family, is quintessentially Italian and happens to be in season right now. Red wine turns the rice a deep burgundy color that makes the dish feel special, even a little romantic. Smoked mozzarella melts beautifully into the rice, adding depth of flavor. It’s a hearty winter meal and a fine example of why risotto rice belongs in every pantry.
Risotto Rosso with Red Wine, Radicchio, and Smoked Mozzarella
from Urban Italian by Andrew Carmellini
serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 1 large head radicchio
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium clove garlic
- 1/2 cup port
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 5 cups homemade chicken broth
- 1 small onion
- 2 cups Arborio rice
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1/4 pound smoked mozzarella
- 1-ounce grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Piave
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley
Find the recipe for Risotto Rosso with Red Wine, Radicchio, and Smoked Mozzarella over at Serious Eats.
That looks so delicious. This is definitely one of the dishes that I need to add to my list of “must do’s”. Thanks for the tips and continue enjoying Arizona!
Thanks! Have you brought the kids to the Grand Canyon?
Love the flavors here! And thanks for sharing the wonderful tips from Chef Carmellini. I’ve never tried the “add half the stock at the beginning” method. I’ll be sure to try it next time I make some.
Nicole,
So glad you found some inspiration. Now that I’ve tried this slightly easier method of adding half the stock at the beginning, I may never go back to the old way.
The idea of using bitter radicchio and creamy smoked mozzarella sounds very tempting. Thanks for sharing such a great tip for getting risotto on the table a bit faster!
Nicole D,
Glad you enjoyed the post, thanks for commenting!
This is an interesting post, thank you.
I have always avoided making risotto because it can really be laborious and not knowing when to stop at that perfect spot. I like the description of…”risotto should move in waves, like the ocean, when stirred in the pot”… Very nice!
I wish Chez Panisse serves Risotto in their cafe menu, I know it changes frequently but haven’t seen it lately. I live only 15 minutes away from the restaurant.
Thanks for a nice post and sharing beautiful inspiring photographs.
PS: Your risotto bowl is very pretty 🙂
Esther,
Thank you for taking the time to comment, I hope this post helps!
Being a risotto addict, I will try this..Thanks for the tips! Also, I loved the dish (plate) ;D
Thanks, Christina! The plate is part of my wedding china, all pinkish-maroon with different English and Irish castles for the designs. 🙂
I love how your cuisine is inspired by Italian traditional recipes. I makes me proud, somehow, it is a strange feeling. Risotto with radicchio is a typical dish from my region, Veneto, since it is here that the best radicchio comes from (Chioggia and Treviso). It is usually made with local rice varieties such as vialone nano or Riso del Delta del Po. I like your interpretation of the recipe adding thyme and smoked mozzarella and I will surely give it a shot as a little change from the classic way!
Valeria,
Thanks for sharing a bit about risotto in Italy. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe today. Italian tradition and food is endlessly fascinating to me. It seems Italians have a real appreciation for good ingredients, and I am so inspired by that. Take care, Jess