Tuesday 21 August 2012

A Lazy day with a recipe at the end. ( muchroom rosotto)

A few weeks ago ( well longer actually) I started this post and then sort of did not finish it. So here it is finished:
Bryan was Cairo. I did not know when he was coming home because he left his phone in Muscat, Oman . Oh here I go I cannot tell the short story because well then it is not a story it is a series of tiny events that end in a tiny end.  So let me start at the beginning. Bryan went to Muscat for business and when his business was over he went to visit his Aunt Erica. He left his phone in her car when he was dropped off at the airport for his trip home.  He was due back in Dubai and then was going on to Cairo the next day. His flight was delayed so Bryan got home after midnight and had to catch a plane early the next morning to go to Cairo. Rush, rush, etc and off  Bryan went at 5-ish in the morning. He had a new sim card but he did not give me the number (rush, rush you see) and it did not occur to me that he OBVIOUSLY got a replacement sim so would have the same number...... DUH.
So there I was  with the day stretching ahead of me and not knowing if I should make plans and head out or hang around waiting for him to arrive back from his trip.
I decided that I would stay home and have a lazy pampering day "in house" I woke up late. Yay. I made a pot of tea and lay in bed (turning over occasionally) reading Nora Efrons I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman (2006).  HEAVEN. This is a "gobbled up book". It is a delightful, quirky, funny, self deprecating book that I really did not want to put  down 'til I had finished it. And that is why when I finally  rolled out of bed  it was so late in the day that I can't even tell you what time it was - for shame.
After having  a revitalising shower, I had an attack of energy that had me in a flurry of grooming. I scrubbed my feet and my hands and slathered on this cream and that unguent. I filed and buffed and clipped and polished my nails till they looked like they had spent the morning at a spa. And then I pondered how stupid it all was. Not that I will henceforth cease to groom toes and fingers. It sounds silly just reading that sentence doesn't it?
I was still feeling energetic and I remembered (suddenly - as one does) that my friend Michelle had bogged on her blog (eons ago)  that she made risotto and I really liked the idea of cauliflower risotto. So cooking rice had been floating about in my mind for some weeks and I thought "ah ha I will make a cauliflower risotto." But I didn't  have any cauliflower in the house so I made Mushroom risotto instead.

Mushroom Risotto
Risotto is one of those dishes that I am always suspicious of. The balance between porridge goop and subtle ecstatic flavour is a very fine one. As it happened the dish was lovely. So I will share the recipe. Simple really.
Ingredients
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 2 cups flavorful mushrooms such as shiitake, chanterelle, or oyster mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and cut into half inch to inch pieces
  • 2/3 cup brandy, vermouth, or dry white wine
  • 5-6 cups chicken stock ( I always have my own home made  in the freezer and think this makes a big difference)
  • 1/3 cup of peeled and minced shallots (OR 1/3 cup of yellow or white onion, finely chopped)
  • 1 3/4 cups  risotto rice
  • 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley or chives
Method
1 Bring stock to a simmer in a saucepan.
2 Melt the butter in a deep, heavy, medium sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and shallots and sauté about 5 minutes till soft and glassy. Add the rice and stir to combine.

You need a bit of patience as it can take up to 25 minutes of careful stirring, and every few minutes adding  hot stock to the rice, as the rice slowly absorbs the liquid it's in. TA DA.

I tidied up the kitchen. I looked at the clock. Evening was approaching. Still no Bryan. I ate the risotto. Still no Bryan. I watched a bit of TV and started reading my next book. Still no Bryan. I went to bed. Bryan arrived home way late. So it goes.

4 comments:

Sharon said...

I LOVE making risotto. Nigel Slater once said 'you cannot not love someone who makes you toast". Risotto is somehow the same - I only make it for people I love, who are special to me. Including me. You missed one essential instruction though. The first time you add the liquid the pot must hiss.......that's what stops it being gloopy.

Sharon said...

And of course I can't resist saying that if you eat to much muchroom risotto there'll not be much room left for pudding.

frances said...

I disagree with Mr Slater. I could love someone who made me (perfect) toast. Especially if it were on special bread. However, right now, any old toast would do, particularly as my 2-yr guarantee (pah!) toaster has given up the goast (ha-ha!). The making of toast by a third party would also imply that I am being waited on and need not do any associated washing up. Fabulous.

Sharon said...

I think you missed the double negative there Frances......