Berkshire— Cooking is one of the things I always wanted to be beloved for. I wanted to invite people over for dinner parties and have them ask if they could bring the friend they always tell about whatever dish it was I made last time, but it didn’t happen that way. No one ever taught me how to cook and recipes were more complicated than I wanted them to be. When I would try, my frustration would blind me, and I would leave the kitchen and angrily order take-out – until I met Francesco, a chef from Italy. He told me that good cooking only takes love. He encouraged me to enjoy the cutting, the cooking, and the serving. It’s made every difference in the world, and each time we make a meal together my confidence and my love for cooking (and food) grows.
Last Sunday night we prepared risotto together for the first time. Francesco said it’s creamy and comforting, and it reminds him of home. I learned that at its core, risotto is an uncomplicated dish, that can be whatever one wants it to be. It can be a welcome to spring, as we declared it by adding peas and asparagus; or it can be made with wine or mushrooms or just about anything else. I learned that it needs attention while it cooks, and I enjoyed attending to it once I learned what to look for. The whole process, including prep, took just over twenty minutes. It was absolutely delicious and buttery and fresh and flavorful – and there was only one pot to clean! Â
Spring Risotto
1 cup Arborio or Carnaroli rice for each person you’re serving
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 shallot
1/3 cup peas, fresh or frozen
3 spears asparagus for each person you’re serving
1 1/2cup baby spinach
32 ounces vegetable broth or stock at room temperature (you’ll add this gradually)
1/3 cup grated parmigiano reggiano
2 tablespoons crumbled chèvre
A generous drizzle of high-quality olive oil to be added just before serving
Dice shallots finely so they’re about the same size as the grains of rice.
Chop asparagus into ¼ inch discs leaving the tender tips whole.
Let 1 tablespoon of butter melt in a sauce pan.
Add shallots to butter and let them sweat until they’re just translucent, about a minute.
Add rice and let it toast. Toasting it helps the rice keep its shape so it won’t become mushy.
When the rice is fragrant, add just enough stock to cover the rice, stir it lightly.
Let it heat up to a rolling simmer, never a heavy boil, and watch it, stirring regularly.
Add more stock as the liquid is absorbed by the rice, you’ll notice the rice grains growing.
Once you’ve been stirring it and adding stock for about 10 minutes, season it with salt and black pepper and add the remaining butter.
Add peas and chopped asparagus.
Simmer for another 5 minutes or so, stirring, add more stock and simmer until the appearance of the rice has changed. When it’s done, the rice grains will be more translucent with a white center.
