- Prep time
- 0
- Cook time
- 0
- Skill level
- Low
This is comfort food. The saffron makes it tad sophisticated, the peas homely, the stock, butter and cheese luscious — and the protein adds a little more substance.
The heart of risotto-making is the Piedmont/Lombardy region in the north of Italy. Though this may be true, my mother, who came from the Veneto region, served up luscious risottos about two to three times a week, always from chicken stock and always with a maximum of two principal ingredients that sat within it. In this recipe, though you could add the optional protein such as chorizo or chicken thigh, the two ingredients highlighted are saffron and peas. They go so well together.
Making risotto is really a "feel" thing. It not only depends on how you feel on a particular day as to whether you’d like it creamier or more set texture, sweeter or more savory, saltier or more peppery, it also depends on the humidity, the type and aging of the rice, the variety of cheese added and, if you are making the stock from scratch, your chicken! So play, experiment and learn your feel.
This recipe will feed two people. The ingredients don’t need to be exact, however, do take note of what you add so if need be, it can be tweaked next time around. That’s the fun of cooking for me!
Ingredients
Method
- Heat up the stock in a pot and add your saffron to it. It should be at the slightest of simmers.
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add eschalots and cook and stir until they are soft but not browned (this is the soffritto for the rice).
- Add in rice; cook and stir until it is "toasted" (it’s called the tostatura) about 2 minutes.
- Stir in wine; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated.
- Add hot chicken stock to rice, 1/3 cup at a time, stirring and/or agitating the saucepan to keep the rice moving and cooking until liquid has been absorbed before adding more stock.
- The peas can be added to the rice at any point, even at different stages so that the peas have different textures.
- Try the cooking rice at different stages. It should get more tender and ready when it is that yet still al dente.
- Once the right texture has been reached, let the risotto rest for 1 minute to cool a little then add the parmesan and butter and stir in quite rigorously until all is melted, spread evenly and with a perfect creamy consistency.
- The sooner it is eaten the better!
Tips
If having some protein with it, it can be cooked separately, prior to the risotto being completed. Chorizo can be sliced and fried in a bit of oil. When the edges are a little crispy you can add them to the risotto placing the slices on top. If using chicken thighs, they should be well seasoned with salt and pepper and fried (even with some garlic and sage). Once cooked they can be sliced and placed on top of the risotto.