Risotto has often been described as a tricky dish to master. I, for one, don’t see how occasionally ladling some stock into a pan of rice and stirring is particularly challenging. It really is what you choose to put in your risotto that can make it or break it. So in an attempt to live up to the complex and (somewhat pompous!) reputation of risotto, I chose to combine a range of diverse flavours and textures to create a beautiful dish, not just to taste but to look at, too!
Before you doubt me and think “there’s far too much going on!” there is something I would like for you to consider; the earthy aroma and golden glow of the saffron combined with the sweet taste and vivid colouring of the roasted squash to elevate the delicate scallops before topping with smoky and crunchy pancetta cubes. If that’s not a dish filled with complimentary flavours, textures and seasonal beauty, I don’t know what is!
For the base risotto
· ¾ cups of Carnaroli rice (or Arborio if you cannot source Carnaroli)
· 1 litre if good chicken (or vegetable) stock. I was naughty and used 4 teaspoons of chicken concentrate and mixed with boiling water. I don’t regret it for a second!
· ½ a cup of white wine
· ½ a medium onion
· 1/3 a cup of parmesan
· A pinch of saffron threads
· Butter
· 2 tablespoons of olive oil
For the topping (feel free to improvise!)
· ½ a butternut squash (approx. 400g)
· Scallops (I used 1 pack of tesco’s scallops about 16)
· Pancetta cubes
· Olive oil
10 simple steps to risotto success!
1) The first job is to preheat that oven to 200C, so we can get that squash roasting. To do that, prepare it by peeling and dicing it (about 3 centimetre cubes), before coating in olive oil then into a roasting tray- and into the oven.
2) Peel and finely chop up half an onion, then gently sweat in a pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
3) Meanwhile in a separate pan- prepare your stock by adding the saffron threads before simmering on a low heat.
4) Once the onions are soft, add a further tablespoon of olive oil before pouring the rice into the pan, stirring to coat with the oil and onions, until translucent in colour (about 1 minute).
5) Add the wine and simmer until the liquid has evaporated completely. Choosing a good quality wine is essential as it’s the first flavour your risotto is hit with! Reduce the heat to a low simmer then ladle by ladle, add the stock to the risotto, stirring occasionally. Don’t overwhelm your risotto, wait for most of the moisture to soak up before adding the next ladleful. This process should take around 25 minutes.
6) While that’s simmering, fry your pancetta cubes in a hot pan until almost completely crispy and set aside.
7) Check on your squash- take out of the oven and turn the cubes, basting with oil if necessary. Then top with the pancetta cubes and put back in the oven, this will keep the cubes warm and complete cooking them as well as infusing the squash with their smokiness!
8) Once the risotto is oozy in appearance but still in rice form, taste it and if it tastes ready (soft with not even a slight crunch) take off the heat. Stir in some freshly grated parmesan and about 1 tablespoon of butter and set aside.
9) Meanwhile, use the frying pan used for the pancetta cubes (with all the juices still in the pan) and heat until very hot. Then, one by one (I choose to do this in concentric circles so I know which ones went in first so not to overcook) put the scallops into the pan and fry for 1-2 minutes on each side (follow the correct timings for your scallops size)
10) Plate up your risotto then top with the squash, scallops and pancetta cubes. Season with a grinding of black pepper and an extra grating of parmesan, just for luck!
No comments:
Post a Comment