Delicious Risotto, Literally - Golden Delicious Risotto

I am a product of American Pop Culture.  I admit it, I have come to terms with it, and accept this in myself.

Every time someone mentions Pork Chops, I hear Peter Brady's imitation of Humphrey Bogart in the back of my mind saying, "Pork Chopsh and Apple Shauce, ain't that Shwell?"  And thus it is that, through the Brady Bunch, I learned to equate apples with pork.  True, there is the proverbial whole roasted pig with the apple in it's mouth, but I don't normally roast a whole pig.  And by "normally" I mean never.  So, for me, it was the Brady Bunch. 

Now, I am not saying that I actually "eat" said apple sauce with my pork chops.  It's not that I think the combination particularly odd or anything.  After all, if Peter Brady thought it was "shwell", then it must be, right?  Cause it was on TV, right?  If it wasn't "shwell", then why would the writers give him that line?  No, it's simply because I rarely have apple sauce around the house, and if I do, it has usually been utilized for Apple Sauce Cake or Apple Muffins, or some such other tidbit of deliciousness.  But, I finally got to wondering about the pairing of apples with pork and decided to give it a try.

Now, me being me, I had to walk a path less traveled by; possibly not at all...  By anyone... Ever.  This led to a little experiment (you saw that comin' didn't ya?) with a Golden Delicious Apple.

Now I am not a big fan of the Golden Delicious Apple, simply because they are so sweet.  I loved them as a kid, but only when they were green.  And let's face it... Produce moves around this country so fast now days that the farmers don't pick things as green as they use to.  Which has it's pluses, but in this case, the Golden Delicious Apples in the stores are almost always fully ripe.  But for this recipe, I thought I could get away with the apple being on the sweeter side cause I was gonna hit it hard with a crisp white wine and "savor-ize" it up with some Parmigiano-Reggiano and Mascarpone. 

If those ingredients ring any bells you probably guessed right.... I made an Apple Risotto.

The verdict on the experiment?  I thought it was tasty... So did my little brother... Savory with a hint of spiced sweetness.  Then again, we both like Cheddar on our Apple Pie so this dish is a natural fit.  My sister-in-law is not a risotto fan, no matter what the flavor so she opted out completely.  Dad was on the fence and Mom hated it.  I don't know... I would call 2 "likes", 1 undecided and 1 "no" a fairly favorable reception considering this side dish's unorthodoxy.

I am still trying to decide if I should have forewent the "hint of cinnamon" and opted for a "whisper of nutmeg" instead.  Personally do not care for nutmeg with apple.  Mace, yes, Nutmeg, no.  I am really more of a Cinnamon person.  I love sneaking Cinnamon in savory dishes when no one is looking.  Any excuse to buck the "system" that has regulated poor Cinnamon to only sweets.  Nutmeg, on the other hand, shows up in Bechamel as well as Spaetzle, Quiche (Lorraine and Florentine) and Scalloped Potatoes (like Pommes de Terre à la Dauphinoise) with a frequency that attests to it's escape from the same predicament as the ill-fated Cinnamon.

Delicious Risotto

4 cups Chicken Stock
2 TB Olive Oil
3/4 cup Golden Delicious Apple, peeled, cored and diced
2 TB unsalted Butter
1 Shallot, minced
1 cup Arborio Rice
1/2 cup Sauvignon Blanc (I chose one in the Green Apple and Gooseberry range)
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 TB Mascarpone
1/16 tsp Cinnamon or 2 grates of Nutmeg (your choice)

Bring the Chicken Stock to a simmer in a small saucepan and dice the apple.

In a large skillet, heat 1 TB of the Olive oil over medium-low flame.

Add the apple and cook for about 10 minutes, just until it begins to soften slightly.

Remove the apple from the skillet and set aside.

Add the remaining 1 TB Olive Oil to the pan along with the Butter.

When foaming subsides, add the shallot and sweat until soft.

Add the Rice and saute for a couple minutes, until it begins to smell nutty.

Add the Wine and stir until it is absorbed.

Begin adding stock, 1 ladle at a time, stirring until each ladel-ful has been absorbed before adding the next.

After 10 minutes of cooking (when the risotto is about 1/2 done) add the diced Apple to the rice, then continue adding stock and stirring until the risotto is still a little al dente. (you may not use all the stock)

Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano, Mascarpone and Cinnamon or Nutmeg.

Cover and allow to rest for 3-5 minutes.

Stir everything together and serve.

Peter Brady was right, Apple and Pork really do play together well.  

So the next time you are serving Pork chops, or Pork Loin chops or even a Pork Tenderloin, I urge you to give this a try.

Yep, Pork Chopsh and Apple Rishoto, it's Shwell.

Mangia!!
~~

Happy Thanksgiving, from Italy!?! - Winter Squash Risotto

When someone mentions winter squash, I will be the first to admit, Italy is the furthest thing from my mind.  Let's face it; I have been conditioned to respond with, "MMMMMM, Pie".  Especially around the Thanksgiving season.  But American cooks are not the only ones who prepare this New World vegetable.  Oh no.  In fact, there is a traditional Risotto recipe from Lombardy (Italy) that is centered around winter squash.  Which makes me VERY happy, because I love all things risotto anyway.

OK, I will admit that I am not making this in the traditional way.  I am using some turkey stock instead of the traditional vegetable stock of Onions, Carrots, Celery and Leeks.  I did add part of a Leek to the Turkey Stock while it simmered though.  So I guess this is Pseudo-Traditional.  ;)

I chose Red Kuri squash because it has a chestnut like flavor (very northern Italian) and is only mildly sweet.  Most importantly though, is that it's a dryer squash.  This means that it will hold it's shape better while cooking.  Kobacha or Hubbard would be another great choice if you cannot find a Kuri or any of the actual Italian varieties like Berettina Piacentina or Zucca Blu.

I went with the traditional Grana Padano from Lombardy as opposed to Parmigiano-Reggiano from Emilia-Romagna.  I think its flavor pairs a little more smoothly with the squash.  A touch of Chervil rounds the flavors out nicely, but it's not an absolute necessity.

Risotto con Zucca

12 oz Kuri Squash
3 1/2 - 4 cups Turkey Stock
2 inches of Leek, split
4 TB Butter (divided)
1 Shallot Minced
1 1/4 cups Arborio Rice
1/2 cup Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay
1/3 cup Grana Padano, grated
1 TB Creme Fraiche or Mascarpone
optional - Dried Chervil

First you must dissect your squash.

Slice it in half. (Unlike Butternut squash, Kuri has less meat and more seeds)

Scoop out the seeds (being a dryer squash, the seed come out fairly easily in one large lump)

I usually quarter the squash, simply because it makes peeling a little easier. (12 oz is about 1/2 of a Kuri squash)

Peel and slice the squash into fairly thin slices.

Then cut the slices into little "elongated cubes" (the smaller you dice the squash the faster it will cook)

Begin heating the Turkey Stock with a split Leek in a small saucepan.

Melt 2 TB Butter in a separate saute pan.

Add Squash and Shallot, sauteing until the shallot is translucent. (Yes, it looks like a lot of squash, but the rice swells, it will be OK)

Add Rice and saute until it smells nutty.

Pour in the wine and stir until the wine is absorbed.

Begin adding the Turkey Stock, one ladle-ful at a time, stirring until each addition has been absorbed before adding the next.

Once the rice is al dente, remove from the heat and add the remaining 2 TB of Butter, Grana Padano and Creme Fraiche.

Cover with a towel and allow to set for 3-5 minutes.

If you like, and I DO like, hit it with a little dried Chervil before serving (I cannot find fresh Chervil at this time of year)

Then dish yourself up a huge helping and enjoy not only a taste of Italy, but a taste of Thanksgiving as well.

Mangia!!
~~

Meatless Monday - Shiitake Mascarpone Cream

Normally I don't really participate in the "Meatless Monday" per se. I am not organized enough to coordinate my lack of animal protein to a specific day. Oh there are plenty of Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays that contain no meat as well as the occasional Friday, Saturday or Sunday. :) But today is just happened to fall that way.

This is the same recipe as the Chantarelle Mascarpone Cream  I made last fall but with 2 important differences.  Gruyere is the cheese of choice this time which just so happens to pair flawlessly with Shiitake mushrooms.  Proof that a good recipe has the ability to adapt and change with the season's offerings, yet remain delicious.  I have changed this so many times, depending on what was available in the market, that I don't even remember what the original recipe was anymore.  Incidentally, this is absolutely divine with Morels and Porcini too.

But, mmmm Shiitakes... The cancer fighting, blood clot preventing, serum cholesterol lowing, high blood pressure stopping wonder mushroom.

As if all that wasn't awesome enough, they are so deliciously "meaty", you won't even notice you aren't eating meat.  Especially when paired with a chunky pasta like rigatoni. So get your weekly dose of Lentinan (Cancer fighter), Lenthionine (Blood clot & High Blood Pressure), Eritadenine (Cholesterol reducer) and various anti-oxidants.   Your body will thank you. 

Rigatoni in Shiitake Mascarpone Cream

1 LB Rigatoni pasta
2 TB Olive Oil
1 Shallots, minced
1/2 Leek, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
1/2 lb Crimini Mushrooms, sliced
1/2 lb Shiitake Mushroomw, sliced
1/2 cup White wine, like Verdicchio
1/2 cup Vegetable stock (or Mushroom stock)
8 oz Mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup (2 oz) grated Gruyere, plus more for serving
1/4 cup fresh Chives, chopped - Plus more for serving

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 - 13 minutes.

While the pasta is boiling.........
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the Shallots, Leek and garlic to the pan, seasoning with a little Kosher Salt and Black Pepper.

When the Shallots are soft, about 3 minutes, add the mushrooms to the pan and season with a little more Kosher Salt and Black Pepper, cook for about 5 minutes.

Deglaze the pan with Wine and cook until liquid has evaporated.

Add the vegetable (or mushroom) stock and simmer until liquid is reduced by half.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the mascarpone cheese, stiring until it melts and becomes all unctuously creamy.

Drain the pasta and transfer to a serving bowl.

Pour the mushroom mixture over the pasts along with the Gruyere and Chives.

Toss well, but gently to coat pasta. (add some reserved pasta water, if needed, to smooth the sauce)

Garnish with the More Gruyere and more chopped Chives.

Mangia!!
~~