Risotto Venezia Antica

Somehow I’ve turned into a “foodie”…..hence the many extra pounds that I carry around with me! Risotto is a very tough dish to pull off. It’s labor intensive and you must stir the rice grains until they puff up…..honestly it feels like your arm might just fall off….and it’s all about timing. Chef Elio Scanu of Zucca Trattoria can cook it to perfection. Chef Shawn Bucher made a lovely batch for us during our Orson Gygi cooking class. He was very clear on the point that timing with risotto is everything. If you stir to long, the rice will turn into a glob of paste (aka wallpaper paste…you get the idea), not long enough and all you have a very simple broth with grains running through it. So if you attempt this lovely recipe be patient, be loving, and then you can enjoy this soft, golden risotto with its fragrant smell of sweet butter, cream, and yes the delicate taste of “Saffron”.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups Risotto (Italian-Style Rice) Creamy, Al Dente’ Grains

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed

4 cups chicken stock

4 tablespoons EVOO

8 cloves garlic peeled – after cooking chop to desired size

1 tsp. shallots, chopped

2 oz white wine

1/2 lb asparagus, sliced into 1 – 1 1/2 inch pieces

1 pinch saffron threads

1 tablespoon butter or so…..

2 oz heavy cream

Parmesan

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Trim chicken breast of any fat. Slice lengthwise into strips and then cut into 3/4” cubes. Bring chicken stock to a boil, meanwhile in a 4-5 quart pot, add 2 tablespoons EVOO and garlic cloves. Sauté’ garlic until brown on all sides. Remove garlic and cool. Chop cloves into desired size and set aside. Add 2 tablespoons EVOO to the pot and add chicken. Cook until chicken is brown on all sides then add the chopped shallots and risotto to the pot and stir for 30-40 seconds. Add the wine and asparagus and let the wine reduce. Add the saffron threads. Slowly begin to add enough boiling chicken stock to keep the risotto completely covered with liquid. Keep the liquid at a low but constant boil at all times. As the liquid absorbs, continue to add just enough chicken stock to keep the rice completely covered. You know the drill now…..stir, stir, stir to avoid burning or sticking on the bottom of the pot. Total cooking time is about 15 – 18 minutes. Risotto should be served how……”AL DENTE”

Turn off the burner, add butter, heavy cream, parmesan and roasted garlic and mix until creamy. This last step, to cream the risotto with the butter is called “mantecare” in Italian it means “to stir in a circular motion consistently”, do this for about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. This is the most important step to achieving great risotto results!

You must “LOVE” risotto for me to make this dish for you. Buon Appetito