Daring Cook's Challenge, March 2010 - Risotto

The 2010 March Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Eleanor of MelbournefoodGeek and Jess of Jessthebaker. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make risotto. The various components of their challenge recipe are based on input from the Australian Masterchef cookbook and the cookbook Moorish by Greg Malouf.

So. Risotto. I'd only ever eaten it once before, and I've never made it, so right up until it was finished I wasn't entirely clear on what the texture should be.

The first step to making risotto is of course the stock, in this case a chicken stock. I've made chicken stock before, but this time used leeks and allspice, and left out the carrot. I wanted to use leeks in the final product, so I thought the change would work well. Can't say that I think there was much difference - stock is stock is stock, really - but worth a shot. I also used a whole chicken plus drumsticks, rather than carcasses - needed the meat, also I couldn't find just bones.

So, chicken and bones go in a stockpot, bring up just to a boil, reduce to a simmer, add veggies and seasoning (whole peppercorns, allspice, cinnamon, bay leaf), and simmer for an hour and a half. Then I removed the chicken meat to a separate plate and let the bare bones continue to simmer for another hour. I think that was too long for the chicken - it was a little dry. Next time I'd remove it between 45 minutes and an hour.

After the bones are finished, they went into the garbage and my newly made stock was ready for the risotto!

Traditionally, the onion used to flavor the oil is discarded, but I love onion and hate waste so I diced it and left it in. So that got fried a bit, then the rice went in for toasting. Then the wine, until it boils off, and the stock, bit by bit. I got a picture of it while the starch was gooing:

Once all my stock was in, excluding the cup that goes in at the end with the other additions, I added some of the chicken meat, another chopped leek, and some trumpet mushrooms. And that other cup of stock, of course. Let that bubble a bit, until it was.. well.. done. No other way to describe it, really. And I liked the final texture. Not so gooey that it ran all over, but not so firm that I could really mold it.

And while all that was going on, I managed to steam some green beans and toast some almonds, then toss them together with some lemon juice. Dinner was risotto, beans, and some yummy strawberries. And everyone enjoyed it - even Dmitri KittyMonster, who snuck some when I wasn't paying enough attention.