Mar 17, 2010: Daring Cooks' Risotto

The 2010 March Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Eleanor of MelbournefoodGeek and Jess of Jessthebaker. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make risotto. The various components of their challenge recipe are based on input from the Australian Masterchef cookbook and the cookbook Moorish by Greg Malouf.



Eleanor and Jess, otherwise known as MelbournefoodGeek and Jessthebaker in the Daring Kitchen spent a whole afternoon on a scorching summers day, experimenting with this months challenge and their stocked freezer is very thankful for it. This month they bring a favourite comfort food. Not only is it naturally gluten free but it is versatile enough to suit everyones taste buds. We bring you risotto!

Mandatory: You MUST make your own stock and the risotto base. The base consists of wine, rice, oil, stock, cheese [actually cheese is not part of the risotto base] and butter. Omit the cheese if using seafood or doing something sweet.

Variations allowed: You can flavour the risotto however you like.

[My comments: This is a two part challenge. The first is to make your own stock and the second part is to make risotto.]

Chicken Stock
Ingredients:
1 large chicken 2-3 pounds about 1 kg [A 2 to 3 lbs bird in the US is actually on the small side... lol]
chicken bones 2-3 pounds 1 kg [Fortunately, whole chicken was on special so I purschased a 2 1/2 bird for the stock and a larger bird for the bones and the deboned meat reserved for another use.]
2 onions, roughly diced
1 medium leek - white part only, roughly diced
2 sticks celery, roughly diced
2 cloves garlic, halved
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp. white peppercorns ( Any type of whole peppercorn will do)
2 bay leaves (fresh or dried, it doesn't matter.)
peel of 1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp. allspice
[Cinnamon stick, lemon peel and allspice. Hmmm... that's unique!]

[Ingredients ready for chopping. Note... The lemon peel was added later on]



Directions:

1.Wash the chicken and bones and places in a 5 Litre pot, cover completely with water and bring to a boil.

2.Skim away any scum as it comes to the surface.

[Usually I don't skim, but using two chickens produced a lot more stuff floating on the boiling water.
Note: I used a 7 quart stock pot... the post is near overflowing. I added about 2 to 2.5 quarts of water.]


3.Add the vegetables and bring back to a boil
4.Add the rest remaining ingredients and simmer very gently, uncovered for 1.5 hours


5.Carefully lift out the chicken, set aside. The chicken meat can be removed from the chicken, shredded off and used for other things like soup!

6.Simmer the stock gently for another hour. At , at the end you should have around 2 Liters

7.Carefully ladle the liquid into a fine sieve, the less the bones and vegetables are disturbed in this process the clearer the stock will be.

The stock is now ready for use. Freeze what you don't need for later use.

[I made the stock ahead of time. The best way to store stock in the refrigerator is to pour into a wide pan. I used a roasting pan that would fit in my fridge. By using a wide pan, you have a thinner layer of stock that needs to be cooled and more surface area is exposed to the cool air.

Note: The stock has gelled nicely due to all the goodness in the chicken bones. Also, the fat is easily skimmed off the surface of the cold stock.]


[For the risotto, I made Risotto alla Milanese which is basically a saffron risotto.]

Risotto Base / Risotto alla Milanese
Ingredients:
olive oil 2 fluid oz 60 ml
1 small onion, quatered
rice 14 oz 400g - Any type of risotto rice will do. I use Arborio but the recipe itself says Vialone Nano. Another to look for is Carnaroli. [400 g worked out to 2 C of Arborio]
white wine 2 fl oz 60 ml
chicken or vegetable stock , simmering 2 pints 1 L

[The risotto base and risotto Milanese are very similar so I went ahead and added the saffron to the base. About 1/4 t of saffron is mixed with 1/2 C of hot stock and allowed to steep.]


Directions:

1.Heat oil in a pan and add onion. Fry for a few minutes to flavour the oil then discard. (We diced ours and left it in as we like onion).

[Diced onions are sweated - cooked without browning until translucent]


2.Add the rice and stir for a few minutes to coat each grain of rice with oil and toast slightly.

3.Add the wine and let it bubble away until evaporated.

[After the rice is stirred and coated with oil... the wine is added followed by the saffron infused stock.]


4.Add enough stock to cover the rice by a finger’s width (about an inch or two). Don't actually stick your finger in, it will be hot. Just eye it off.

[Most recipes call for stirring and stirring. I don't know if that's a cooking myth, but I went the route of occasional stirring.]


5.Cook on medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon from time to time, until most of the stock has been absorbed.

6.Repeat Step 5 making sure to leave aside approximately 100 ml. of stock for the final step.

7.Repeat, save 100ml for the final stage.

8.Once you are at this point, the base is made. You now get to add your own variation.

[Continue cooking until the rice is al dente - firm but not crunchy. It's okay to taste until it's done.
To finish off the risotto alla Milanese - 60 g of cubed butter is added (about 6T) to the cooked risotto.]


[Next, the 1/2 C of shredded parmesan and mixed in... not it's ready to serve.]



The Finished Dish
Traditionally, Risotto Milanese is served with Ossobuco (braised veal shank). However, that's a little difficult to find and pricey. I opted to make a beef pot roast.

Sauteed mushrooms were an an accompaniment. Actually, I could have mixed the mushrooms into the risotto, but opted to use the mushrooms as a garnish.



The beef had a nice savory flavor and the sauteed mushrooms had a very similar beefy, unami flavor which mixed will with the lighter risotto. The flavors did not clash, but melded.


This month's challenge turned out nicely, especially the stock.

I was apprehensive about using cinnamon, lemon and allspice in the stock, but surprisingly the stock turned out very nice. The cinnamon and allspice added a faint spiciness to the broth which provided an extra layer of flavor. Also, no salt was added to the stock, yet it tasted as if salt was used.

The risotto Milanese is based upon a recipe by Mario Batali (http://www.mariobatali.com/recipes_ossobuco.cfm). I did make some changes. I used 1/4 t of saffron instead of 1 t. Other than that, the difference between the risotto base and the risotto Milanese are very similar and delicious.

Wait! There's more!

After the saffron risotto, I had more stock leftover so I delved into another basic risotto - Pancetta and pea risotto.

The recipe is a conglomeration of recipes I've seen on the web... the Risotto base (as mentioned by our hostesses) form the root of the recipe.

Additions:

2 oz (about 1/2 C) Pancetta, diced
2/3 C Peas, I used frozen which were defrosted under warm water.
8 C Broth
4 T Butter
1/2 C Parmesan, grated

The pancetta is cooked along with the onions.

This time around I wanted the risotto to be creamier since I didn't have the gravy from the pot roast complementing the risotto. As a result, the rice absorbed about 8 cups broth.

The peas were added at the end with the butter and parmesan cheese.

This time around the risotto was creamy with the rice al dente.

Mar 02, 2010: Tofu Tuesday Taco Filling

This week I'm using fried tofu is used as a extender for ground beef tacos.

The advantage of tofu is protein content. Three ounces of the fried tofu provides 24 g of protein with 14 g of fat, while three ounces of 85/15 ground beef provides 16 g protein and 14 g of fat.

Ingredients
6 oz Fried Tofu (minced)
2 Clove Garlic, minced
1 Onion, diced
1.5 lbs 85/15 Ground Beef
1 Packet Taco Seasoning
0.75 C Chicken Stock or Water

Fried tofu seemed to be a logical choice for for tacos.


Used a food processor to mince the tofu.


Saute the garlic and onion with the tofu. Since tofu is a little bland, the onions should impart some flavor.


After a minute, add the ground beef and break apart while cooking.


After 5 to 10 minutes, add the taco seasoning and stock.
Note: After much experimentation with trying to make my own blend of taco seasoning, I found the package stuff to be better and more convenient.

Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes.


The Dish
I kept dinner rather simple.. rice cooked with Goya Cilantro and Achiote (annatto) seasoning and canned beans.

Ground beef burrito... rice, beans, taco filling, salsa and cheese.


Extra rice and beans on the side. A relatively quick dinner with plenty of leftovers for lunch.

Aug 29: Bitter Melon...

Going through the Asian vegetables at the local market, I spied a gourd that I haven't eaten in over 20 years - Bitter Melon (Karela in Indian cookery). I remember the melon having a strong flavor that was an "acquired" taste. In other words, the melon had a strong bitter (for lack of a better word) taste where I could not understand who figured out this was an edible vegetable.

The way I remember preparing the melon was with salted, fermented black beans and garlic. To mask the bitterness? Well... after 20 years, I was feeling nostalgic and decided to give it a go. Also, I had a craving for black beans and garlic.

The bitter melon is a ridged melon with bumps. Inside you see the seed and the pith which is different from what I remembered. I recall the pith and seeds coats being bright red, like pimentos. Maybe this is a different variety or an unripe melon.


The seeds and pith are scraped out with a spoon and cut into strips, using a diagonal cutting technique. Also, you can cut into large triangular pieces too.

To reduce the bitterness, you can par-boil for a minute or two. Also, I've read that you can salt the sliced pieces and rinse after 15 minutes.

For today, I opted to cook as is. Bring on the full flavor!


Bitter Melon with Black Beans and Beef

1 lb Bitter Melon, seeded can cut.
1 T Black Beans, soaked in warm water (5 to 10 minutes) and rinsed
1 t Garlic, minced
1 T Oyster Sauce
1 t Soy Sauce
1 C Broth
1 to 2 T Vegetable Oil
Beef (or pork or chicken)... to your taste.

Sauce (Optional)
1/4 C Water
1 t Corn Starch
1/2 t Oyster Sauce
1/2 t Soy Sauce
1/4 t Toasted Sesame Oil

The black beans (after a soak and rinsing) and the minced garlic.


Using the end of a cleaver, the two are mashed together.


Heat the oil in a pan on medium-high heat. When hot, stir the black bean/garlic mixture to flavor the oil (about 1 minute). Typically, you would add the meat next, but I used some precooked ground beef leftover from the piroshky bake... (Shhh! Don't tell anyone I used leftovers! lol)


Add the sliced bitter melon and saute for about 3 to 5 minutes.


The cooked ground beef was mixed in along with the oyster sauce and soy sauce.


The broth (or water) went in next.
The heat was reduced to medium and the pan covered.... Allowing the melon to cook for about 7 to 10 minutes.


Optional... After 7 minutes, the melon was done so the corn starch slurry was added. The corn starch will thicken the remaining liquids to give the dish a little sheen, but more importantly allow the flavors to "stick" to the melon.


Onto the serving platter.


A closer view... ready to be served.


Served with brown rice (my personal preference).


The Tasting...
I was expecting a strong mouth puckering flavor. However, I was surprised how unbitter the bitter melon was. There was only a faintest hint of the bitter flavor I remember from 20 years ago. Maybe I burned out my taste buds from all the hot sauce I eat or this variety just isn't that bitter.

Overall, still a good dish. My craving for black beans and garlic was satiated, and the bitter melon wasn't that bitter as I initially feared.

Aug 23: Lucky Recipe Find...

Chalk one up to serendipity!

I was at the local second hand store, Goodwill, looking at cookbooks... Hoping to find a cookbook by Julia Child. However, the colorful spine caught my eye and the title, Bite of Seattle Cook Book.

One of my favorite stops at The Bite is the piroshki stand - The Kaleenka. Thumbing through this cookbook their piroshki recipe is included for the home cook. Alright! Let's see how much this book will cost... small paperbacks are $0.69. Hmmm... I think I can afford 69 cents. What a lucky find!


Looking at the recipe, I was suprised to find that an enriched dough (milk, sugar and egg) is used.

Piroshky [Recipe provided by The Kaleenka]
[Ref: Bite of Seattle Cook Book, Vol VIII, Judith Deak and Gretchen Flickinger, 1993]

Dough
1 1/2 packages of yeast [I used 1 package of rapid rise yeast]
1/4 C Warm Water
2 T Sugar
1 t Salt
1 1/2 C Milk [I'm not a milk drinker but I did have powdered whole milk which I reconstituted using 3T powdered milk to 1 C hot water]
1 egg
1/4 C oil
4 to 5 C of flour

Filling
1 medium Onion, chopped
2 lbs Ground Beef
1 Clove Garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste

Usually with rapid rise yeast, proofing is not needed. However, the yeast expired May '09 so it's three months out of date. Before I continued on with the recipe, I proofed the yeast in 1/4 C warm water for about 10 minutes. Just to see if it was alive.

After 10 minutes, there is some activity. However, usually the liquid would be foaming like mad. At least some of the yeast is still alive. The good thing about yeast.... yeast reproduces quickly. So I carried on...


The dry ingredients were mixed together - 4 C flour, sugar and salt. In another bowl, the liquid ingredients were mixed together - yeast mixture, milk, oil and a beaten egg.

The liquid was added to the 4 C of flour mixture and mixed.
I could tell by how wet the sides were that a little more flour was needed.



Added another 1/4 C of flour and the dough came together, pulling away from the sides.


The dough was kneaded 10 minutes using a the remaining flour a little at a time. Total flour used was about 4 1/2 C.

The kneaded dough was placed in an oiled bowl and cover. Rising time was about 90 minutes.
While the dough was rising, the filling was made.



Hurray! The dough doubled in size - looks like the yeast worked after all.


The dough was punched down and golf ball/kiwi size dough balls were rolled out.
Dough balls were rested about 10 minutes for filling.


The dough was stretched out about 4 to 5" in diameter and filled with 2T of filling. The ends were brought together and pinched shut.


Part way through the batch of dough, I had the idea of adding cheese to the filling.
1 T of filling, insert the cheese chunk (approximately 1" by 3/8" by 3/8") and another 1T of filling on top of that.


After filling, ideally, the piroshkys are allowed to rest and proof 30 minutes before cooking.

My intention was to bake the piroshkys but my oven was acting up where I had to run the self cleaning mode. In the mean time, I deep fried some of the buns.

350F for about 5 minutes or until a uniform golden color is achieved.


My first batch out of the fryer. Looks good so far!


Another batch was stashed in the refrigerator to slow down the proofing.


My oven finally works... gave the piroshkys a coating of egg and off to the oven.

Bake 350F for about 25 minutes.


After 25 minutes, the piroshkys were pulled from the oven. Looks like baked Chinese BBQ pork buns... Recipe will be in a future post.


The Tasting
The deep fried pirsoshy with cheese.
The dough turned out nicely. Very similar to the "official" piroshkys... the beef is beefy and actually mildly seasoned. I've tried other piroshkis in the past where the filling seems to have a gravy with it. Next time, I can try adding more liquid and thicken with corn starch.


The baked version with cheese...
The bread here is drier than the fried version. Now I'm not sure if that's due to baking vs frying in oil, or if it's due to the extended proofing (about 2 hours) while I waited for the oven to finish going through the self-cleaning cycle.



Overall, the results were good. The bread part is very similar to restaurant version. The filling is good too. I do want to try adding more juiciness to the filling the next time around, if that makes sense. The book has already paid for itself with the delicious results! lol :-)