While eating my second helping of this dish for the second day in a row, I decided to share with you, my friends. Do not be intimidated by risotto. It is satisfyingly creamy in the wintertime without delicious, creamy alfredo guilt– that’s key, for me at least, in a season laden with mouthwatering cocktail weenies stewed in brown sugar and fabulous cheese balls. This is a recipe, not a formula, because I want you to experiment if you try this at home! No measuring! All you need for outstanding risotto is patience, white wine, and a heavy-bottomed skillet– that’s not so bad, right?
Wine, asparagus, arborio rice, and mushrooms getting ready to party!
Start with 8-10 baby bellas, stems removed. Quarter them and start sauteeing them over a medium heat in 2T or so of butter, making sure they are nicely spaced out so they can sear rather than steam. See Julia Child’s boeuf Bourgignon for the technique. Go ahead and trim a pound of asparagus to about 4″ spears– discard the woody stems or save, if they’re skinny and tender, for soup or quiche. Toss those mushrooms around a little bit and continue sauteeing until the mushrooms smell delicious and the exteriors are tight and browned all around. They shouldn’t look wet. Then toss them on a plate.
Throw the asparagus tips in the pan with another tablespoon of asparagus. After stirring this around, you may want to add the lid; the thicker the asparagus, the more you will want to add steam. Cook just until heated through. Don’t let them get wilted or grey! Remove and place next to your shrooms.
Pour yourself an oversized glass of white wine. I like to use a big, yet dry verdejo blend from Spain with some age on it (2008); these can be had for about $15, stand up to the smokiness of the Pecorino Romano that’s coming and the distinct grassiness of asparagus, and they also taste good on their own as well as in the dish. You can also use pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc, or any dry white– even dry sparkling. Avoid American Chardonnays and sweet Rieslings and Muscatos, please.
Take 1/2 to 3/4 pound peeled, deveined shrimp (tails are up to you) and sprinkle both sides with a tiny pinch of flour and a healthy coat of Old Bay. Throw a tablespoon of butter in that pan for good measure and a turn of olive oil; place the shrimp in the pan with room between each shrimp. While shrimp cook, place 4-5 cups fish stock in a pot to simmer. Chicken stock works in a pinch, because the flavors are so bold. Flip the shrimp with tongs; use the lid, tilted partway off, to keep the shrimp a little moist while cooking. Remove shrimp from pan.
Deglaze the pan with a splash of the broth and a splash from that glass of wine. Scrape with a wooden spatula while you simmer until the bottom of the pan is clean; pour off the pan into your simmering cauldron of fish stock.
Re-heat dry, clean pan to medium heat; smear a smidge of butter (teaspoon should be adequate) along the bottom. Add two crushed, chopped cloves of garlic (skins removed) and stir; add a little more than a cup of arborio rice. Occasionally toss the rice around in the pan until the kitchen smells garlicky and the rice has taken on a nice toasty color (5-7 minutes).
Throw that glass of wine you’ve been drinking (should be 5-7 oz left) into the pan. It will steam and start boiling the rice; stir once and allow to simmer down. Pour yourself a new glass of wine. Now comes the tricky part: Technique. As the rice cooks, you will need to drag a wooden spoon through almost as though deglazing the pan. You will add more liquid when a spatula dragged reveals sticky rice with a creamy substance around the bottom of the pan and on the grains. Adding liquid a little bit at a time is what gives risotto its richness, not cream or sauce. This typically takes 20-30 minutes.
Every time that dragged spatula separates the rice and leaves an empty streak in the pan that is slowly being encroached upon by creamy goodness, throw in 3/4 cup of the simmering stock. Stir and let it stand. Taste rice occasionally. When you think you’ll only need to add another cup because OMG, the little rice grains are getting fat!, and almost taste done, throw in 1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley. Also throw in your plate full of shrimp, asparagus, and mushrooms, and the last dose of broth. Give it a stir and put the lid on. Stir it again and make sure your rice isn’t raw in the middle– crunch. Crack on some black pepper and add a swirl of kosher salt.
Pour risotto into a big serving bowl. The test of perfect risotto is supposedly when you can spoon it into a bowl, give the bowl a gentle shake, and the risotto settles out of a mound and into a creamy pool. It should jiggle more easily than good mashed potatoes and less easily than pudding. Shred 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano overtop and jiggle the bowl again.
Prepare for marriage proposals from roommates, significant others, and mailmen (only if cooked at lunch).
