The Amazing World of Rice (15 page)

I moved to California from New York kicking and screaming, but I became a California convert on a sunny Saturday morning while standing before a pile—yes, a pile—of fresh figs. I picked one up and held it in my hand. It was warm and heavy. When I turned it over, there was a teardrop of sugary fig syrup dripping from its blossom end. I almost wept with joy. I had never seen so many figs in one place. People were filling bags and buying them by the pound. I had come a very long way indeed from New York City, where figs by the piece cost what I paid that morning for an entire pound. Talk about fig heaven. The practical cook in me quickly snapped out of my reverie as I began to plan my menu for the evening. This fig risotto was the result.

½ cup walnut pieces (halves or quarters)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon chopped rosemary

6 to 8 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (or half broth and half water)

¼ cup minced shallots

1½ cups Carnaroli, Vialone Nano, or Arborio rice

½ cup dry white wine

1 pound ripe green figs (Calimyrna, Kadota, or Adriatic) rinsed, stems trimmed, and cut into ½-inch cubes

½ cup coarsely slivered Parmigiano-Reggiano

Kosher salt

• 1.
  Sprinkle the walnuts into a small skillet and toast over medium-low heat until golden. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and the rosemary; stir until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat; set aside.
  
• 2.
  Heat the broth to a simmer in a saucepan; keep at a gentle simmer.
  
• 3.
  Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large wide saucepan or deep skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallots; sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice until coated, about 2 minutes. Add the wine; cook, stirring, over medium-high heat, until absorbed.
  
• 4.
  Add ½ cup of the hot chicken broth. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until the broth is almost all absorbed. Add the remaining broth ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly, until the risotto is creamy and the rice is plump and tender with a slight resistance to the bite, 20 to 25 minutes. Halfway through the cooking, add half of the diced figs. (If you run out of broth, finish the risotto with a little boiling water.)
  
• 5.
  Add the remaining figs, half of the walnut butter mixture, and half of the cheese; stir to blend. Taste and add salt if needed. Let stand off the heat for a few minutes before serving.
  
• 6.
  Spoon the risotto into shallow soup dishes. Spoon the few remaining walnuts and rosemary butter over each. Top with the remaining cheese. Serve at once.
  

Almost any winter squash can be used in this risotto, but for a rich flavor I prefer the round Japanese squash called Kabocha.

One 1½-pound Kabocha or other winter squash, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice (about 2 cups)

6 to 8 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (or half broth and half water)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup finely chopped onion

½ cup dry white wine

1½ cups Carnaroli, Vialone Nano, or Arborio rice

¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving

Freshly grated nutmeg

Kosher salt

1 tablespoon torn sage leaves

• 1.
  Heat the chicken broth to a simmer in a saucepan; keep at a gentle simmer. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large wide saucepan or deep skillet. Add the onion; cook over low heat, stirring, until golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in the rice until coated, about 2 minutes. Add the wine; cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until absorbed.
  
• 2.
  Add ½ cup of the hot chicken broth. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until the broth is almost all absorbed. Add the remaining broth ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly, until the risotto is creamy and the rice is plump and tender with a slight resistance to the bite, 20 to 25 minutes. Ten minutes before the risotto is done, stir in the squash. (If you run out of broth, finish the risotto with a little boiling water.)
  
• 3.
  Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, the cheese, and a generous grinding of nutmeg. Stir vigorously until the risotto is creamy, about 30 seconds. Taste and add salt if needed. Let stand off the heat for a few minutes before serving.
  
• 4.
  Spoon the risotto into shallow soup dishes. Sprinkle the top of each with a few gratings of nutmeg and a pinch of sage leaves. Serve at once, with additional Parmesan on the side.
  

It wasn't until I was an adult that I discovered the sweet mellow taste of cooked fennel. As a child growing up in an Italian family, the only fennel I knew (and adored) was raw. With its distinctive licorice taste, we were a family divided into fennel lovers and fennel haters. Today slowly cooked fennel is one of my favorite vegetables. Here it is paired with leeks in a delicate creamy risotto.

1 fennel bulb (about 12 ounces), stalks trimmed and feathery tops reserved, bulb trimmed, any blemishes removed, and cut into quarters

6 to 8 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (or half broth and half water)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 medium leek, trimmed, washed, and finely chopped (about 1 cup)

1½ cups Carnaroli, Vialone Nano, or Arborio rice

½ cup dry white wine

1 teaspoon grated orange zest, plus three strips 2 × ½-inch orange zest, cut into thin lengthwise slivers

¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus additional for serving

Kosher salt

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

• 1.
  Soak the fennel in ice water for 20 minutes; drain well. Dry and chop as uniformly as possible into ¼-inch pieces; set aside. (There should be about 1½ cups.) Finely chop enough of the reserved fennel tops to make ¼ cup; set aside.
  
• 2.
  Heat the chicken broth to a simmer in a saucepan; keep at a gentle simmer.
  
• 3.
  Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large wide saucepan or deep skillet. Add the leek; cook over low heat, stirring, until tender, about 10 minutes. Do not brown. Stir in the rice until coated, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped fennel. Add the wine; cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until absorbed.
  
• 4.
  Add ½ cup of the hot chicken broth. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until the broth is almost all absorbed. Add the remaining broth ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly, until the risotto is creamy and the rice is plump and ten
  der with a slight resistance to the bite, 20 to 25 minutes. (If you run out of broth, finish the risotto with a little boiling water.)
  
• 5.
  Add the grated orange zest, the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, the cheese, and half of the fennel tops. Stir vigorously until the risotto is creamy, about 30 seconds. Taste and add salt if needed. Let stand off the heat for a few minutes before serving.
  
• 6.
  Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and strips of orange zest in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring until the edges of the zest begin to turn golden, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  
• 7.
  Spoon the risotto into shallow soup dishes. Sprinkle with the remaining fennel tops and the strips of orange zest. Serve at once, with additional Parmesan on the side.
  

Leftover Risotto

Risotto Pancakes

Use leftover risotto to make little pancakes. Combine cold risotto with a little beaten egg, shape it into small pancakes, and brown in melted butter or hot olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. See the recipe for Risotto al Salto.

Risotto Baked in Roasted Portobello Mushrooms

Use leftover Basic Risotto or Green Risotto with Dried Tomatoes and Pecorino Romano or prepare risotto to use as the filling if there are no leftovers. This makes an excellent first course or side dish with beef or chicken.

2 or 4 medium (about 4 inches in diameter) portobello mushrooms, stems removed

4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 to 2 cups leftover cooked risotto

Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

• 1.
  Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  
• 2.
  Arrange the portobello mushrooms smooth side down in a roasting pan. Drizzle each with 1 teaspoon olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes. Turn over and roast smooth side up for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven.
  
• 3.
  Turn the portobellos smooth side down and spoon the risotto onto the mushrooms, mounding it slightly in the center. Sprinkle the tops with a little grated cheese. Roast until the cheese is melted and the risotto is heated through, about 10 minutes longer.
  

Risotto Baked in Roasted Acorn Squash Halves

Use leftover Winter Squash Risotto or Basic Risotto. Serve as a first course or as a side dish with pork, lamb, or chicken.

1 or 2 small acorn squash (about 1 pound each)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 to 2 cups leftover cooked risotto

Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Gruyère

• 1.
  Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  
• 2.
  Break off the stem(s), if still attached, from the squash. Place the squash on its side and, with a large heavy knife, cut in half across the “equator.” Scoop out the seeds and membranes. Cut a small slice from the pointed ends so the halves will stand straight. Sprinkle the insides with salt and pepper.
  
• 3.
  Place the squash cut side down in a baking pan. Add about ½ inch hot water to the pan. Cover and roast 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven. Turn the squash over.
  
• 4.
  Spoon the risotto into the scooped-out section of each squash half, mounding it slightly in the center. Sprinkle with cheese. Roast for 15 minutes longer, or until the risotto is lightly browned and the cheese is melted.
  

P
ilaf, risotto, and paella
are similar yet a world apart. Each uses a different rice and a different technique, and each is native to a specific geographic area. Of the three dishes, pilaf is, indisputably, the simplest and most easily adaptable.

Pilaf is made with long-grain rice that cooks into dry, separate grains. Traditionally, the rice is rinsed and soaked, then it is sautéed in butter or oil. Sometimes onions, garlic, and other vegetables, or bits of meat, are added. Then the entire mixture is cooked in simmering broth.

Each time I uncover a pot of cooked pilaf, I am thrilled at the sight. The rice has exploded into hundreds of long, long grains, and although they have obviously cooked side by side, they appear not to be touching, as if they are suspended by invisible threads. How can this be?

Basmati rice is traditionally used to make pilaf, since it contains more amylose (the drier starch) than amylopectin (the stickier starch). As the grains cook, they expand in length rather than girth. The result is cooked grains of rice that are tender yet dry, separate, and fluffy.

To make things interesting, there are always exceptions. On a trip to Istanbul, I was introduced to a pilaf made with shorter, plumper grains of rice similar to Arborio. This type of rice, higher in amylopectin, results in a creamy pilaf, with a consistency similar to risotto.

For a perfect pilaf, use a pan with a concave lid that will not collect condensation. When the pilaf is done, there will be tiny indentations on the surface of the rice, indicating that all the liquid has been absorbed. Traditionally pilaf is cooked with a dry cloth placed between the lid and the pot to collect the condensation from the lid and prevent it from dripping into the pilaf. If not using a cloth, quickly invert the lid when you remove it to catch the condensation.

The recipes in this chapter begin with the most basic pilaf, perfect as a side dish to any weeknight meal, and move all the way up to very elaborate pilafs appropriate for grander occasions. Like so many other classic rice dishes, pilaf needs only the whim of the cook, or the necessity of what is at hand, to become a totally new dish.

To substitute brown rice for white rice in any of the following recipes, increase the liquid by ¾ cup and the cooking time to about 45 minutes.

Pilaf Techniques

In India and throughout the Middle East, the rice for pilaf is always rinsed and soaked. Rinsing cleans it of debris and soaking removes excess starch. The technique is to rinse the rice in two or three changes of cold water; soak it in clean water for 30 minutes or longer; and drain well. American grown basmati-type rice is very clean and does not need to be rinsed. But it also doesn't elongate quite as much as imported basmati rice when it is cooked.

As an experiment I cooked two pilafs side by side. For both pilafs I used imported basmati rice. For one pilaf I rinsed and soaked the rice in the traditional way and in the other I didn't rinse or soak it. In both pilafs the cooked rice was beautifully elongated, each grain dry and separate. But the rinsed and soaked rice had a lighter, less starchy texture and taste than the rice that had not been soaked.