First, some housekeeping: I got a comment saying that my font is difficult to read. Is this the general consensus? I find it quite easy to read, but then again, I’m on a Mac. Anyone on a PC having trouble reading it?
Moving on.
Today, I want to talk about risotto.
My first risotto was an experience… a food memory I’ll never forget.
Every Christmas, my dad would take me to Barney’s to go shopping for my mom: we were nearly the same size, and so I would try on different things for her. Eventually, we nearly always got her jewelery, and my dad would let me help pick what he would buy.
Afterwards, we would go to the restaurant Fred’s at Barney’s. One particular time, I ordered parmesan risotto as my main dish. It was the most incredible thing I had ever tasted: salty and sweet and soft and creamy. It was absolutely perfect: I never wanted to finish it.
I ordered risotto many times after that. Sometimes it was gloppy and not so great, other times it was just as good as that first time. I’ll always remember that first bite: a combination of such simple ingredients coming together in a way that made each one sing.
I’ve made a few risottos in my day. I tried this one after seeing it on Beyond Salmon. A combination of three citrus fruits and cream, of light constant stirring, of starch envelopping each grain until the dish becomes one cohesive mass of flavors.
When you’re used to parmesan risotto, like I am, the flavors can come as a shock at first: the citrus risotto is part sweet part acid with only the cream and starch to keep it soft the way I remembered my first risotto. It’s the perfect risotto for springtime: hot and hearty enough to fill you and keep you warm, but with light tastes that surprise the palate: the little tiny “grains” of citrus mimic the shape of the grains of rice, but the jolt you get when they burst in your mouth is nothing like the gentle give of a perfectly cooked grain of rice.
It’s not at all what I expected, but if I hadn’t been expecting anything, I would love it in its own right.
Sometimes, you can fall in love when you’re not expecting it. I think that’s the best kind.
This is my submission to FIC – Pink, hosted by Priya (I’m six hours past the deadline… I really hope that’s OK!) You can read more about FIC here at Harini’s blog.
Pink Risotto (serves two, adapted from Beyond Salmon)
1 medium grapefruit, supremed, plus juice
1 lime, supremed, plus juice
1 orange, supremed, plus juice
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 shallot, finely diced
1/2 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup white wine
2 cups home-made shrimp stock, kept warm over low heat
1/3 cup creme fraiche
Salt
Supreme all the citrus fruit. In order to supreme fruit, cut away all of the peel and pith from the outside, and then slide your knife in between each section and the pith surrounding it. The section should just fall away from the rest of the fruit. Reserve all the juice.
Heat the butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Add the shallot and cook until fragrant and soft, about two minutes. Add salt to taste, and then add the rice. Cook the rice in the butter until the grains are translucent, about two minutes.
Add the wine to the saucepan, stirring as you do. Cook until the wine has cooked off and the grains are starting to look dry. At this point, begin adding stock by the ladleful, stirring all the while. Add stock one ladleful at a time, stirring until the grains have absorbed the liquid before adding another ladle. Continue this way for about twenty minutes.
When the grains are beginning to look plump, begin tasting. You want the rice to be completely cooked but still be toothesome. When the grains are cooked to your liking, add half the supremed fruit and juice, stirring vigorously to break up the sections. Taste and see if you would like to add the rest of the fruit.
When all of the fruit has been incorporated, add the creme fraiche and salt to taste until the flavor balance is to your liking. Serve immediately.