Friday, May 16, 2014

Parsley Risotto with Parmesan Crisps

"A Little Cheese, Please"! Everyone at I Heart Cook Clubs (IHCC) is getting cheesy this week, with cheese as the theme for this week's dish. This is the second recipe with cheese that I've made with Nigel Slater's recipe this week. The first one is Cheese, Ham and Apple Muffins, from The Kitchen Diaries II, pg 222, but unfortunately, all my photos are missing from my camera, and this is not the first time it happens! Obviously I need a new camera. So with no photos to show, time for Plan B, that is to make another recipe , as I do not want to skip this week's theme, any week for that matter, not if I can help it. 

I decided to try at cooking risotto, something I have never attempted before. Nigel Slater has this interesting risotto recipe that is served with a piece of Parmesan crisp. Sounds good to me. The recipe is for 4 servings, and since I'm having this alone, I've made a quarter of a recipe for one, and use about 85 gm of arborio rice. I've used my own homemade chicken stock and used in total about 1-1/2 cups. Nigel's brilliant idea of crashing the stalks of the parsley leaves with the side of a knife and adding them to the boiling stock makes the stock really parsley-fragrant.

To cook the risotto (with a low heat), firstly, some chopped shallots is sauteed in a little butter, add the rice, and stir till the rice is glossy, then add in some white wine (I've used about 2 tbsps). Stir for a minute or two, add in a ladle of the hot stock, stirring until the rice has absorbed the stock, and add on another ladle of stock, repeat until the rice is cooked and creamy. Final step is to add in the chopped parsley leaves, and some butter and grated parmesan, stir to combine. I have omitted the butter and did not add anymore salt, as it does not need it. 


For the Parmesan crisp, place a heaped tablespoon of grated Parmesan in a medium hot saucepan, press down the cheese with the back of a spoon and let it cook for a minute or two until the cheese melts and the bottom is light brown. Flip it over and cook the other side for a minute or two. Remove and let cool slightly, it will crisp up as it cools. Place the Parmesan crisp over the risotto and serve.


Notes :  Is this dish good? Yes, it is! Really tasty, and I like the fragrance from the parsley both in the stock and from the bits of chopped leaves added in towards the end. The Parmesan Crisp is a nice addition, and cooking the Parmesan Crisp is a fun process!


Parsley Risotto with Parmesan Crisps
(adapted from "The Kitchen Diaries II", Nigel Slater)
50gm flat-leaf parsley
a litre hot stock (chicken, turkey, vegetable)
a shallot or very small onion
a thick slice of butter
300gm Arborio rice
a small glass of white wine or vermouth

To finish :
butter and grated Parmesan

For the Parmesan Crisps :
4 heaped tablespoons finely grated Parmesan 

Prepare the parsley :
Pull the leaves from their stems, crack the stems with the back of a knife - their mineral scent is worth inhaling - then put them in a pan with the stock and bring to the boil. As the stock boils, turn the heat down to a low simmer. Finely chop the parsley leaves.
Peel and very finely chop the shallot and let it cook in the butter in a saucepan, without taking on any colour. Add the rice, turn the grains briefly in the butter till glossy, then pour in the wine and let it cook for a minute or two. Add a ladle of the stock. Stirring almost constantly, add another ladle of stock and continue to stir until the rice has soaked it all up. Now add the remaining stock, a ladle at a time, stirring pretty much all the time till the rice has soaked up the stock, the grains are plump and the texture creamy.
Stir in the chopped parsley, a thick slice of butter and a couple of handfuls of grated Parmesan. Season carefully.
For the Parmesan crisps, simply put heaped tablespoons of the grated Parmesan into a warm, non-stick frying pan. Press the cheese down flat with a palette knife and leave to melt. As soon as it has melted, turn once and continue cooking for a minute or so. Lift off with the palette knife and cool briefly. They will probably crisp up in seconds. Place on top of the risotto and serve.
Enough for 4.


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20 comments:

  1. I lovd this plate Joyce look yummy!

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  2. Mmmmm! We were thinking alike this week, Joyce! I do love risotto and Nigel Slater does a nice job of giving us different ways to treat a basic risotto recipe! Yours is a yummy version!

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  3. Would love to have this flavourful risotto, drooling here..

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  4. I love risotto and the Parmesan crisps sound delish! Blessings, Catherine

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  5. Parmesan crisps are really yummy and fun. I never thought to add them to a dish like this--I always put them on top of soup. Happy to have another excuse to eat them! The idea of using the parsley stalks appeals to me. I can see how it would add a lot of flavor, plus why throw out something if it can be used?!

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  6. I like the Parmesan crisp idea... will try it next time :)

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  7. Sounds like a yummy dish! I have seen Giada de Laurentiis baking the parmesan cheese to a crisp and thought that was brilliant! Now I know you can do it over the fire too:D Thanks for sharing!

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  8. Joyce, I'll have to skip this one because I don't like risotto hah..hah...I call it soggy Italian rice and the smell of parmesan makes me dizzy. I am so hopeless :D

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  9. I love the Parmesan crisp. The risotto looks very tasty, Joyce.

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  10. Joyce , the parmesan crisp alone is worth the bother :D I would like a new cam as well , maybe the Fuji XT1 ?! *sigh*

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  11. I love risotto! The Parmesan crisp looks delicious! I'd make a whole bucket and eat it slowly ha ha

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  12. I'm glad you enjoyed your first risotto. I love the Parmesan crisp on the side. Looks delicious!

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  13. I love risotto also! This is the perfect recipe for spring time with the parsley addition.

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  14. Se ve muy delicioso su risotto me encanta,abrazos

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  15. love your risotto topped with Parmeson crisp!

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  16. I like all the parsley flavor you get in this one. I wouldn't have thought to add the stems to the stock. Love the little parmesan crisp on top too! ;-)

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  17. Joyce, this risotto looks amazing - love the double-dip with the parsley both in the stock and in the rice - that's genius, and the parmesan crisps on top is a delightful touch. I totally have to try that.

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  18. I could eat the parmesan chips just with ... nothing. This looks very delicious, unfortunately our risotto lover left already home.

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  19. Risotto looks great for your first attempt. Isn't it great. LOVE it. And this looks delicious.

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  20. oh this is so yum! reminds me that I haven't eaten risotto for ages!
    adding mushroom would make this even better, imho :)

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