The Pope & Risotto

There’s nothing quite like having a loved one come and visit! To wit: our dear friend Kathi flew up and spent not only matriculation with us, but also stayed and loved on her two favourite little ones, Gus and Mary Camille, which no matter what she says, is why I think she came. We were spoiled; I hated to see her go.

On Saturday night, at her request no less, I made one of her favorite meals, lamb chops, parmesan risotto, and a wonderful Mediterranean Salad. Surely, if I share with you my risotto recipe, your joie de vivre will be sweetened! May it be remembered now and always: I love good risotto!
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A general note: when making risotto, less fuss and fluff is actually better. The more ingredients and the more tweaking involved, the less delightful it usually turns out. Risotto is not a gourmet mysterious dish – one must, however, be patient. Moreover, risotto requires constant attention. Make this when you can have other things prepared ahead and warming someplace else. This usually takes 30 minutes from beginning to plating.

What you’ll need for 4 bountiful servings:

1 cup Arborio rice (sometimes just labeled “Risotto Rice”)
1 cup of thinly sliced button mushrooms
1 cup finely chopped sweet onion (I prefer Texas Sweets or Chilean Sweets)
1 TBSP of Veal Demi-Glace (buy this from Williams-Sonoma)
1 Tsp. of White or Black Truffle Oil
3 cups chicken broth
½ cup dry white wine (I tend to think a good un-oaked Chardonnay works best)
1 cup of grated Parmesan (use only Parmagiano-Reggiano grated with a micro-planer)
3 TBSP unsalted butter
2.5 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

To prepare:

Combine the broth, truffle oil, and white wine in something out of which you can easily pour
Heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat in a sauté pan
Add the onions and mushrooms; cook for 3.5 minutes, stirring often
Add the Arborio; cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent burning
Add one cup of the broth mixture to the pan, reduce the heat, and stir often.

After the mixture has been absorbed (usually 8 minutes), add one more cup of the broth mixture and cook until it has been absorbed (usually another 8 minutes). Finally, add the last of the broth mixture to the rice and stir while it absorbs (again, another 8 minutes if your heat is nice and low-to-medium).

Just as the last of the broth mixture is being absorbed, add the parmesan, stir, plate, and serve.
I garnish with a touch of fresh parsley or tarragon, a pinch of pepper, and a wee tad of lemon rind.
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Now, you know I can’t write something on here without mentioning good theology, too! So how can I make risotto relate to theology? Hmmn…okay, without really digging deap, how about this: after Pope Benedict’s visit to the United States in 2008, he remarked to reporters that his favourite dish was Lidia Bastianich’s risotto, which she made for him in Manhattan! That’s really about as good as I can do. So I say, if it’s good enough for the head of Roman Church, than it’s surely good enough for little old me!

Peace to you all and bon appétit!