This recipe is an old favourite from my undergraduate days when I subscribed to Vogue Entertaining and Travel. It was the first risotto I ever cooked, and probably the first I ever tasted. The lemon flavour is quite subtle, and blends very well with the stock. I happily eat the risotto by itself for dinner, but it would make a nice starter for a more substantial meal.
Lemon Vodka Risotto
(serves 2 for a main meal, 4 for a starter)
3 tbspn (45mL) olive oil
1 small brown onion, peeled and chopped finely
200g Arborio rice
1.25L reduced salt chicken or vegetable stock, warmed to near boiling
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 tspn dried mint flakes
finely grated zest of one lemon
4 tspn freshly squeezed lemon juice (or more, to taste)
50mL vodka
1 tbspn (15mL) unsalted butter
15g freshly grated parmigiano reggiano
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan, add the onion and fry until softened. Add the rice, and stir until all the grains are coated. Continue cooking until the grains are lightly toasted. Add 1 cup of the hot stock and cook the rice, stir often until all the stock is absorbed. Add another half cup of stock and cook until it is absorbed. Repeat, until all the stock is absorbed. Never drown the rice by adding too much liquid at a time. Taste the rice, it should be tender, but still a little firm. Add a little extra stock or water and cook longer if necessary.
When the rice is cooked, remove the saucepan from the heat and add remaining ingredients. Stir, then cover the saucepan and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
Lemon Vodka Risotto
(serves 2 for a main meal, 4 for a starter)
3 tbspn (45mL) olive oil
1 small brown onion, peeled and chopped finely
200g Arborio rice
1.25L reduced salt chicken or vegetable stock, warmed to near boiling
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 tspn dried mint flakes
finely grated zest of one lemon
4 tspn freshly squeezed lemon juice (or more, to taste)
50mL vodka
1 tbspn (15mL) unsalted butter
15g freshly grated parmigiano reggiano
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan, add the onion and fry until softened. Add the rice, and stir until all the grains are coated. Continue cooking until the grains are lightly toasted. Add 1 cup of the hot stock and cook the rice, stir often until all the stock is absorbed. Add another half cup of stock and cook until it is absorbed. Repeat, until all the stock is absorbed. Never drown the rice by adding too much liquid at a time. Taste the rice, it should be tender, but still a little firm. Add a little extra stock or water and cook longer if necessary.
When the rice is cooked, remove the saucepan from the heat and add remaining ingredients. Stir, then cover the saucepan and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
living with a tee-totaller, i'm curious to know how it tastes without the vodka shot?
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it would work just fine - I'm not really sure what the vodka adds to the taste. You might need to substitute a few tablespoons of extra stock if the end product is a little dry.
ReplyDeleteThe basic risotto can easily adapt to other flavours too. I have recipe where you saute about 200g of fresh mushrooms with a clove of garlic, and add that instead of the lemon/vodka/mint etc. I've never tried it, but I did use rehydrated dried mushrooms which worked quite well.
I suspect that the risotto place we went to in NYC probably cooks up huge batches of the risotto base and just adds whatever flavouring you order. http://risotteria.com/
You are so cooking when we finally manage to hook up.
ReplyDeleteActually, I already know full well the depths of your food snobbery....
Adam,
ReplyDeleteThe cooking process would "burn" off the alcohol anyway. The taste of the vodka may remain, but not the actual alcohol content.
Peta (one of Julie's friends from high school)