Whisked Off

The Rules of Risotto September 24, 2009

Ever since reading the first chapter of Marcella’s Italian Kitchen in 1992 I’ve been experimenting with risotto.

Mushroom, asparagus, artichoke, radicchio – the possibilities are endless. Sometimes I blanch the vegetables separately; sometimes I cook them with the rice. I’ve tried meat stocks and chicken bouillon and vegetable broth. For a little zing, I stir in wine or lemon juice. And I have served it a variety of ways: soupy, sticky, and a few times – unfortunately – chalky.

Marcella Hazan is regarded as the godmother of Italian cooking in America. In fact, in 2005 she was actually knighted in Italy. She’s always been one of my culinary heroes and some of her no-nonsense “rules” have become part of my cooking credo. Many find her dogmatic tone off-putting, but to me it is oddly comforting. In case you haven’t read her “Elementary Rules” of good Italian cooking (p.5 in the book above), here’s a sampling:

• Use no Parmesan that is not parmigiano-reggiano.
• Never buy grated cheese of any kind; grate cheese fresh when ready to use.
• Do not overcook pasta. Do not precook pasta.
• Do not esteem so-called fresh pasta more than the dry, factory-made variety.
• Unless you are on a medically prescribed diet, do not shrink from using what salt is necessary to draw out the flavor of food.

Some of her rules for making risotto are equally stern:

• Rice must be stirred constantly so it doesn’t stew and become mushy. There are no shortcuts to this method.
• Everything that is to become part of risotto ought to be cooked along with the rice.
• A cold or reheated risotto fails totally to express the values of the dish.

Back to school. I find it interesting that in the space of 3 weeks at Le Cordon Bleu, I have already witnessed two risotto demonstrations. One was with Master Chef Terrien in Paris; the other was today. Apparently, I am not the only one obsessed with making this traditional Italian rice dish.

Today Chef Eric made Classic Mushroom Risotto as the starter for a menu that followed with pork chops and a fruit cake. Neither the main course nor the dessert had any appeal for me, but I paid close attention as he showed us Le Cordon Bleu’s risotto. Chef’s version had a slightly runny consistency which he explained is more suitable for vegetables than the stickier method. It was delicious. Perhaps because he finished the dish by taking it off the heat and stirring in a generous dollop of butter.

There’s a well-know football rivalry between France and Italy. Today I learned that it extends into the kitchen. Below are Chef Eric’s risotto rules. If you read carefully you may spot some differences from Marcella’s.

• You don’t need to stir continuously – every few minutes is enough.
• You can cook vegetables separately or in the rice.
• Add wine after the rice but before the stock so the alcohol boils off before cooking continues.
• To make ahead of time, cook until almost done and then spread the rice in a thin layer on a baking sheet to cool quickly. To resume cooking, add it back to the pan with butter and a small amount of the stock.

Vive la différence!