di reston
Sous Chef
Sorting through my handwritten recipes the other day I came across this recipe, which I noted down one late night when I caught a programme on tv with Heston Blumental 'looking into' the in's and out's of doing a risotto alla milanese to go with ossobuco alla milanese. I scribbled it down on an old envelope so that I wouldn't miss it. I've used it ever since - it does a spectaluar risotto alla milanese, not to mention mushroom risotto, and other risotto's which would otherwise seem bland. Here it is:
HESTON BLUMENTHAL'S ACIDULATED BUTTER FOR RISOTTO:
Use a larger quantityof butter than you would oil for doing a normal risotto.
Finely chop 4 - 6 oz onions and garlic, and sweat in the butter until transparent, but not browned. Add a glassful of dry white wine, salt, and a touch of white wine vinegar, tasting as you go. The finished product should be like a thickish sauce, and use in place of a classic soffritto.
A normal risotto soffritto would be equal quantities of finely chopped onion, carrot and celery. Use this to make your chicken stock using chicken legs, skin removed. For the stock you would use, according to HB, twice the quantity as you would for the acidulated butter quantities. Strain the stock, remove any fat, and use for adding to the rice after you've added the acidulated butter soffritto. It's good method for mushroom and truffle risottos as well, as it cuts the fattiness of the butter while retaining the flavour, and my friends all tell me it works very well. That's why why I've posted it to you.
di reston
Enough is never as good as a feast Oscar Wilde.
HESTON BLUMENTHAL'S ACIDULATED BUTTER FOR RISOTTO:
Use a larger quantityof butter than you would oil for doing a normal risotto.
Finely chop 4 - 6 oz onions and garlic, and sweat in the butter until transparent, but not browned. Add a glassful of dry white wine, salt, and a touch of white wine vinegar, tasting as you go. The finished product should be like a thickish sauce, and use in place of a classic soffritto.
A normal risotto soffritto would be equal quantities of finely chopped onion, carrot and celery. Use this to make your chicken stock using chicken legs, skin removed. For the stock you would use, according to HB, twice the quantity as you would for the acidulated butter quantities. Strain the stock, remove any fat, and use for adding to the rice after you've added the acidulated butter soffritto. It's good method for mushroom and truffle risottos as well, as it cuts the fattiness of the butter while retaining the flavour, and my friends all tell me it works very well. That's why why I've posted it to you.
di reston
Enough is never as good as a feast Oscar Wilde.
