My Grandma, My Nonna, My Risotto
I loved my Grandmothers. Unfortunately, they have passed and are reading this blog from beyond. At least I assume so, they have yet to leave any comments in the comment section. Of course, I would never have said it to them, but I once secretly wished they were Italian. I am lucky to have been to Italy and I have seen what the Italians eat – recipes and food traditions lovingly passed down from Nonna who learned from her Nonna who learned from her Nonna and so on and so on. No, there was nothing wrong with the herring salads, briskets and deli rotisserie chickens of my youth, but a risotto, good Lambrusco, a Culatello ham or a Zeppole di San Guiseppe and the other wonders of Italian cuisine are all things to be praised. Perhaps if I had just started calling them Nonna it would have changed things. Sure, Nonna Rita and Nonna Dorothy does not really have that natural Italian ring to it, but if you believed, anything might have happened.
Risotto – A Classic
A most intriguing Italian dish that my Nonnas never made was risotto. It is the foundation to many a great meal. That this magic rice can be made into a creamy rich experience of a savoury kind makes it a culinary stand out that will, unlike say Korean Tacos or Chocolate Lava cake, never be forgotten. Sure, more then a decade ago, when we never had even heard about it, we were taken aback by the cooking process – “What? Its rice that isn’t in one of those boil in a bag pouches?” You remember. And while foodTV made it out to be more exclusive than it should have been, we collectively realised that we can add stock to a pot of rice intermittently and enjoy risotto without being overwhelmed. YEAH! And, It didn’t always have to be risotto with mushrooms or gorgonzola (not that there is anything wrong with that). We realised that with a little inspiration there was tons of stuff we could add to risotto and we could make it our own. DOUBLE YEAH!
Risotto is so simple and easy it should be in everyone’s repertoire, Nonna and non Nonna alike. Here is how I do mine…
- 1 large onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3/4lb risotto rice
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 4 medium tomoatoes
- 5-6 cups of chicken or vegetable stock/broth
- 3 small eggplants
- olive oil
- a big bunch of fresh parsley
- parmesan cheese
- dried italian seasonings (like oregano, thyme, basil or those seasonings that you like)
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Chop the onion into a small dice. Chop the garlic cloves finely. Using a box grater, grate the tomatoes in a bowl. Chop the parsley. Cube the eggplant into small cubes.
- In a bowl, toss the eggplant with olive oil, salt and pepper. Add a few pinches of dried Italian seasonings. Place the mixture in a roasting pan and roast in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the eggplant is browned and starts to caramelise (As an alternative, the eggplant can be pan roasted in a sautee pan on the stove).
- Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until they are softened. Add the risotto rice and stir well cooking for about 5 minutes.
- Add the white wine. Allow the wine to come to a slow simmer. Stir occasionally. When most of the wine is absorbed add the tomato. Allow the tomato to come to a slow simmer.
- When most of the liquid from the tomato is absorbed start adding the stock/broth one cup at a time, stirring occasionally. Continue to add stock until the risotto is creamy and al dente in texture or to your taste.
- Add 1/2 of the eggplant to the risotto. Mix well. Season to taste with salt, pepper and italian seasoning. Add fresh parsley to taste. For a richer risotto, stir a handful of parmesan cheese.
- Serve the risotto in a bowl topped with more eggplant, parmesan cheese and a dash more parsley.
I hope you enjoy!!
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