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Sun Dried Tomatoes Risotto Recipe |
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| Sun
Dried Tomato Risotto Recipe |
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Click picture to enlarge
This is an authentic Milanese risotto recipe with tangy sun dried
tomatoes, peas, onions and ham (replace the ham with sliced yellow sweet
peppers if you are vegetarian).
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KEY POINTS
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Preparation Time: |
10 mins |
Cooking Time: |
35 minutes |
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How Difficult |
Medium |
Freeze? |
No |
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Servings |
4
portions |
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INGREDIENTS
| Ingredients |
Imperial |
Metric |
| Italian risotto rice |
12 oz |
350 grams |
| Onion |
2 medium |
| Sun dried tomatoes |
10 |
| Peas (frozen or fresh) |
3½ oz |
100 grams |
| Fresh grated parmesan cheese |
1½ oz |
40 grams |
| Ham (Parma ham if possible) |
1¾ oz |
50 grams |
| Vegetable stock |
1½ pints |
850 ml |
| White wine |
1 glass |
| Butter |
1 oz |
25 grams |
| Olive oil |
3 tablespoons |
| Saffron |
½ teaspoon |
| Salt and pepper |
To taste |
COOKS NOTES: Milanese Risotto is traditionally made with saffron. We
have tried the cheaper (although no saffron is cheap) saffron and found
it does not compare to a good quality Spanish saffron. The good quality
stuff has a far better taste. Note that risotto rice is absolutely
essential, normal rice is no good for this dish.
The creamy texture of a good risotto comes from adding the stock slowly over the
20
minutes cooking time - this forces the starch out of the rice. The final
touch of adding the parmesan cheese is essential - cover
the dish and let it stand for 2 minutes. Warm plates help keep the creamy
texture whilst eating.
COOKING EQUIPMENT
1 medium frying pan
A ladle if possible but not necessary
PREPARATION
Slice the sun dried tomatoes into strips (see recipe picture)
Finely chop the onion
Finely grate the parmesan cheese
Wash the risotto rice in cold water
Method
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Add the olive oil to a frying pan on low heat, add the butter and
melt it. Add the onions and cook for ten minutes until they are
softened. Don't burn the onions.
This method of cooking vegetables such as onions on a low heat is
called soffrito. |
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Now add the risotto rice and saffron to the frying
pan and cook for one minute at a medium temperature. Stir
frequently whilst cooking to make sure the rice is coated with the
oil and butter mixture. |
| At ladleful at a time, add the wine first then the
stock to the risotto rice mixture. The aim is to add a ladleful,
then wait until the rice has absorbed it. The add another ladleful
and so on. This really does result in a creamier risotto mixture.
After half the stock has been added, add the sun dried tomatoes.
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After about 20 minutes when all or most of the stock and wine has
been added, the rice will be cooked. You may need a little more
water or a bit less stock depending on how the rice absorbs the
liquid.
The rice is cooked and moist enough when it can be stacked as shown
in the picture (moisture test) and it is no longer crunchy. |
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Add the peas, ham and parmesan cheese to the mixture and stir well.
Cook for a minute then take the frying pan off the heat and allow to
stand for two more minutes.
Now is a good time to warm up the plates in the oven to keep the
risotto warm when eating. |
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Serve the sun dried tomato risotto on warm plates
and garnish with sprig or two of parsley if you have any and some
more grated parmesan cheese. Risotto will not keep for any length of time so eat
immediately. |
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