Lemon Risotto Carbonara with Green Peas

April 13, 2015 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking

I absolutely loooove risotto and pasta carbonara is one of my all-time favorite things to order when I’m in Italian restaurants. When you think about it there are some parallels – a silky, rich sauce; deceptively simple preparations; classic Italian fare.

I’m not sure exactly when I started thinking about combining the two dishes, but I know that the source of the lemon was a glorious lunch at Isabella’s a few months ago. Lemon gnocchi prepared carbonara style with a crispy poached egg and thickly cut pieces of bacon - heaven! A plan was hatched and I started practicing my risotto and carbonara skills with this dish in mind. Side note: I’m also dying to know how they made that egg so crispy but still soft in the middle….

Purists will surely shake their heads over the addition of lemon and peas to something called carbonara, but I’m banking on the risotto - which has many, many variations - as my cover for taking liberties. This recipe is easily a meal in itself perfect with a little salad and a glass of white wine.

Lemon Risotto Carbonara with Green Peas (serves: 4 entrée portions)

Ingredients:
2 cups Arborio rice
7-8 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/3 pound slab bacon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
10 ounce package frozen green peas
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:
Heat the chicken stock in a medium sauce pan until just below a simmer, reduce heat to keep the stock warm, but not boiling.

Meanwhile, dice the slab bacon into 1/4 inch strips and sauté in a large dutch oven over medium-low heat until crispy and browned, 7-10 minutes. Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain.

Reduce the heat to low and melt the olive oil and unsalted butter into the remaining bacon fat. Sprinkle the Arborio rice into the dutch oven and stir to coat in the melted butter and olive oil. Cook the rice for 2-3 minutes, stirring occassionally before adding the white wine and lemon juice (zest the lemon before juicing!).

Once the white wine and lemon juice have been absorbed and the pot has been deglazed, add 1 ladle of the hot chicken stock to the rice. Stir until the stock is almost completely absorbed before adding another ladleful. While the rice is cooking, beat the eggs in a small bowl and grate the parmesan cheese.

Continue the process of adding the stock and stirring. The risotto is done when the rice is al dente, about 20-25 minutes, and creamy sauce has formed. The consistency should be thick, but not stiff, almost pourable, but not runny. It’s a fine line!

When the last ladle of chicken stock has been absorbed turn off the heat and stir in the beaten eggs and grated parmesan cheese until well combined. The sauce will thicken slightly and turn a pale yellow.

Finally, while the risotto is still quite warm stir in the frozen peas (no need to defrost) and give it a final seasoning of the lemon zest and black pepper. Serve immediately with a sprinkle of the crispy slab bacon pieces. Enjoy!

Inspired by Isabella’s and written with reference to Risotto Carbonara by Kitchen Sink Diaries and Spaghetti Alla Carbonara by Tyler Florence.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Yes, even though you will need two pots. I used a 2 quart sauce pan and surprise surprise, my trusty blue 5.5qt Le Creuset French oven. I also needed a small cutting board, chef’s knife, measuring cups, wooden spatula, and microplane grater (excellent for both the cheese and the lemon zest.)

The Verdict:
Carbonara can sometimes be a little much - egg, AND parmesan, AND bacon - so for me the lemon and green peas help balance the richness and reduce my guilt over devouring a healthy portion. The other part I like about cooking this recipe is that while Lemon Risotto Carbonara is fairly easy, there’s just enough fussing (not too much, after all this is practically a one-pot meal) to inspire my inner chef. Cooking risotto takes some practice and if you need additional advice on how to master the technique I’d recommend this great guide on The Kitchn.

Mushroom Farro Risotto

March 16, 2015 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking

Have you ever noticed an ingredient for the first time and then all of a sudden it’s everywhere? First it was quinoa and kale now it seems to be farro. I was first introduced to farro by an episode of Nigellissima, hosted by the lovely Nigella Lawson where I learned that it’s an ancient grain that was a staple of the Roman diet. I'm just nerdy enough to find that fun fact intriguing, but didn’t actually buy any until my visit to Kalustyan’s last fall when I happened across a package of their house brand.

For reference sake, it’s important to note that farro is sold in three different forms: whole grain, semi-pearled, and pearled. The form depends on how much of the outer hull has been polished away and the cooking time will vary dramatically. Whole grain takes at least 40 minutes of simmering, while pearled takes about half that long – so read your package carefully so you know which one you have and can adjust the expected cooking time. I think of it being something like oatmeal – old-fashioned oats vs. quick oats vs. instant.

Since my first brush with farro it seems like it’s popping up on menus – I recently tried versions at Maman and Hunter’s, both excellent – and in magazine recipe features. I admit, I’m not sorry to see all these new sources of inspiration since I’m fully on the farro bandwagon. I hope you’ll try it too and let me know what you think!

Mushroom Farro Risotto (yield: 2-4 servings)

8 ounces (3 cups) cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 cup ( 1 medium) yellow onion, diced
1 cup whole grain farro
2 cups chicken stock
1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions:
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large, deep sauté pan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sliced mushrooms (caps and stems) and sauté until the onions turn golden and translucent, and the mushrooms are browned, approximately 10-12 minutes.

Sprinkle the whole grain farro into the sauté pan and gently stir to coat with the mushroom, onion and olive oil, about 2-3 minutes. Add the kosher salt, black pepper, and thyme to the pan and pour in the chicken stock.

Stir to combine the ingredients and bring the mixture up to a simmer, then cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Continue to simmer with the pan covered for 40 minutes until the chicken stock is absorbed and the farro is tender, but al dente.

Serve warm or room temperature with a sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese.

Inspired and guided by Nigella Lawson’s Farro Risotto and Ina Garten’s Baked Farro and Butternut Squash.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Oh, yes! I used a large cutting board, chef’s knife, a 3 quart covered sauté pan, measuring cups and spoons, and a wooden spatula.

The Verdict:
Mike and I are both pretty much obsessed with this recipe and with farro in general. The farro itself has a texture somewhere between wild rice, barley, and brown rice with a beautifully nutty flavor perfectly complemented by the earthiness of the mushrooms. We’ve been eating it both as a side dish, say with roasted chicken for example, and as a main course salad. My all time favorite is warm farro and roasted butternut squash over cold arugula dressed with a little vinaigrette. Delicious.

Risotto Primavera

June 25, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

As inspiration for more adventurous culinary efforts each week I follow along with Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa, in my tiny New York kitchen. Let’s see if I can keep up with the Contessa!

Episode: “Impromptu Dinner”

The Set-up: Ina’s friend and creative jack-of-all-trades, Miguel, is in town and she invited him to a spur of the moment dinner Chez Garten.

The Menu: Risotto Primavera, Caramel Pecan Sundaes, Shortbread Cookies

0:48 – Ina explains that Miguel is in the Hamptons doing research on historic homes for a photo shoot and when he called she just had to invite him to dinner. We don’t see this phone call, but if I were an F.O.I. (that’s Friend of Ina) I would totally hit her up anytime I was within an hour radius. Well played, Miguel.

1:07 – The challenge is, can she make an entire dinner from things she already has in the pantry? I know I can and it takes less than 5 minutes to prepare: cereal!

2:11 – But for real now, first up: dessert. We get a quick how-to on Shortbread Cookie dough before Ina starts rolling them out. Oh, the counter space in that glorious barn kitchen! I’ll give you a minute to revel…

3:16 – Additional perks of being a F.O.I.: introductions to the movers and shakers of the East Hampton Historical Society. We get a few glimpses of Miguel touring the Osborne Jackson House. Spoiler alert! There are old time-y kitchen tools.

4:59 – Now Ina is making a little chocolate glaze for the Shortbread Cookies. In order to get the chocolate to harden to a glossy finish it has to be tempered.

5:36 – Apparently this is an annoying process, so Ina gives us “Tempering for Idiots.” Pro Tip#1: melt part of the shaved (not cubed!) chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between until it’s just melted. Then add in the remaining chocolate shavings.

6:44 – As she dips the cookies in the chocolate she remarks how it’s nice when they don’t look like they’re straight from a box. One of my favorite things about Ina; she makes a virtue of imperfect, homemade looking food.

11:23 – This meal appears to be 50% entrée, 50% dessert (all good in my book) because now it’s Caramel Pecan Sundae time. Ina toasts the pecans, of course, and then starts the caramel sauce.

12:32 – I am super intimidated by anything that involves boiling sugar but this looks fairly simple. Pro Tip #2: Ina says swirl, don’t stir the sugar and water or it will solidify.

13:19 – Off the heat before adding the cream and vanilla. She says stand back it will “bubble up violently” and she’s right – terrifying. Now it’s okay to stir? Hmm. Caramel sauce will require more research…

13:56 – Back to Miguel for a moment. He’s doing a credible job of feigning interest* in the “original milk paint.” Keep up the good work!

14:08 – Ina claims that everyone has some kind of ice cream in the freezer, which is probably true, but hers is brand new pints of Haagen Dazs and mine is half eaten Edy’s slow churn.

14:47 – We get some additional thoughts on “dressing ice cream up for company:” Triple Raspberry Sauce and Affogato (aka hot espresso over vanilla ice cream.) Sign me up!

19:13 – Now for the main course: Risotto Primavera. As Ina chops leeks and fennel she tells us that she thinks cooking is hard (Lord help the rest of us, right?) so to make it easier she has a few basic recipes and varies the ingredients to make something totally different. That’s fair I guess.

20:42 – As the leeks and fennel sauté Ina reveals that her “one weakness” is keeping lots of homemade chicken stock in the freezer. Question is: should we believe her? What if her weakness actually “really good vanilla” or “very cold butter”? Probably best to leave that one alone in case she’s bluffing…

21:34 – I need all the help I can get with risotto, so here’s Pro Tip #3: Coating the Arborio rice with the butter and oil keep the risotto from becoming sticky.

22:29 – Ina also shares that she thinks making risotto “therapeutic” at the end of a long day; just standing there and stirring. If I had this dish a little more under control I’d probably agree. Alas, for me it’s stressful!

22:45 – We check in with Miguel again. He compliments the fireplace in the master bedroom and says it will be “perfect for the [alleged] photo shoot.” Fairly sure this is all an elaborate ruse to get dinner out of Ina. Miguel is wily*.

23:21 – Back to Risotto Primavera. Ina tells us that she doesn’t really believe in frozen vegetables, except for peas and asparagus. Convenient, yes? I’m pretty much with her, but I’ll also use corn and green beans. Please don’t judge.

27:16 – Did anyone else notice the glass of white wine on the counter? No wonder cooking risotto is so “therapeutic.”

28:38 – A few finishing touches mainly in the form of CHEESE! Mascarpone and Parmesean for anyone who’s curious.

29:51 – Miguel arrives and pretends this wasn’t his real destination* Ina ushers him in and it’s dinnertime!

*I do not know Miguel and this statement should not be interpreted as fact. I'm just assuming...

Final Thoughts:

I am so not adept at ‘impromptu’ dinners – perhaps my pantry & freezer stocks need a little TLC?

The concept of basic recipes with multiple variations is brilliant!

Ina’s friends have the best jobs – florist, location scout, magazine editor, pastry chef…

Lessons Learned:

Hmm, two rice dishes in a row? Oh, well. Since my first risotto was only semi-successful I thought a second try with Risotto Primavera was in order. I watched Ina very carefully and I think my earlier issues were because I didn’t fully coat the rice in the butter and olive oil, and also added the stock too slowly.

Tip number one, don’t be stingy with the stirring when you first add the rice. The butter coating is important!

My second tip involves a little math. Try this one on: once the leeks, fennel and rice are all in the pot the remaining cooking time should be ~20 minutes. The recipe calls for 4 cups of hot stock total to be added 2 ladles at a time. One ladleful = approx. ½ cup of stock, so each time the stock is added it's about 1 cup. 20 minutes divided by 4 cups of stock means an average of 5 minutes for absorption. If after the first addition of stock it’s taking more or less time than 5 minutes then adjust the flame under the pot (higher or lower) so that your cooking time settles in to that rate. Does that make sense?

The third tip is to taste the rice periodically like you might when cooking pasta. Revolutionary, right? It won’t be fully seasoned yet since the salt, pepper and cheese come later, but you will be able to see how close to ‘al dente’ you are and make adjustments.

Using these guidelines I'm happy to day that my Risotto Primavera turned out much, much better than the Butternut Squash Risotto I made in April. Not mushy at all! Still working on the creaminess, but I think I’m well on the way to “therapeutic” risotto cooking!

Small Kitchen Friendly?

It depends. If you’re going with the Ina method of using frozen veggies, then it can be done with just two pots on the stove. But if you need to blanch fresh asparagus like I did, then you’re up to three pots and a large bowl. Choose your own adventure...

I used a 5 qt dutch oven, two medium sauce pans (one for chicken stock, one for blanching), a medium bowl, and a medium sized cutting board. I also used a chef’s knife, a box grater, a microplane grater, a wooden spatula, and measuring cups & measuring spoons.

The Verdict:

I made this on a warm evening this week and the fresh spring-y flavors of the Risotto Primavera are excellent for a summer dinner even though it’s a hot dish. Definitely add the lemon zest and juice to keep it bright and balance out the creaminess of the cheese. This one is a winner, and since the vegetables in the recipe are available year-round I’d still make this in the dead of winter when spring seems far away.