Brooklyn Forager

I love red wine risotto.  My husband does not.  So, when he ran off for the weekend with the boys, I settled in to indulge myself.  I have a few versions of this recipe that I like to make, one being Giada De Laurentiis' version and another being a variation with chorizo.  In a quest to make it a bit lighter and a good meatless option (not to mention my lack of chorizo on a cold evening), I used another favorite Giada risotto recipe as a base, her Champagne risotto, and came up with a nice and easy version that gave me a dinner and a lunch for my weekend home with the pup.

Note on cooking with red wine: the maxim is true - recipes taste best with a wine you would drink rather than some cheap cooking wine.  However, in a pinch, I keep the remains of a drinking bottle of wine vacuum sealed in the fridge to use in recipes.  It is not ideal, but I find it works for me since I use splashes of wine in my cooking often enough to keep the bottle relatively fresh (a little red wine makes even a jar of marinara sparkle).

Red Wine Risotto with Peas (adapted from Giada De Laurentiis)

• 3 cups mushroom broth or low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup Arborio rice
• 3/4 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano
• salt and pepper, to taste

1. Bring chicken stock to a simmer on the back of the stove.
2. Melt butter in saucepan.  Add garlic and shallot and cook until fragrant.
3. Add Arborio rice and toss to completely coat the rice in butter mixture.
4. Add red wine and stir constantly until wine has reduced almost completely.
5. Add 1/2 cup chicken stock and stir constantly until reduced almost completely.  Continue with remaining broth in 1/2 cup portions.
6. When rice is soft with just a touch of chewy texture, add peas, cheese and seasoning.  Garnish with additional cheese if desired (I pretty much always desire).  Serve and try not to eat both servings all by yourself!

 

This week brought me a lovely set of local bluefish fillets from FreshDirect.  Borrowing from the Baked Fish Nicosia from Moosewood's Sunday Night Suppers, I dredged the fillets in cornmeal mixed with a hint of cumin, coriander and cayenne.  I pan-fried these lightly in oil and served with a fresh tomato salsa of local tomatoes, basil, and garlic, all tossed with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sea salt and pepper.

To complement this, I made yet another kitchen-clean-up salad with Satur Farms butterhead lettuce, radishes, scallions and cucumbers along with a medley of homegrown herbs (parsley, Italian basil, Greek basil, mint and sage). 

I also enjoyed a bottle of the Benmarl Slate Hill white which is a slightly sweet blend of Chardonnay, Viognier, Riesling and Traminette.  The wine was a rich golden color with hints of citrus and soft floral notes.  This is a great summer sipping wine, either with seafood or tart fruits and cheeses to help balance the sweet and crisp flavors. 

Pictures of all to follow.

FreshDirect: bluefish fillets, Satur Farms lettuce

Farmers' Market: radishes, scallions, tomatoes, cucumbers, garlic

Homegrown: Italian basil, Greek basil, parsley, sage, mint