Risotto – Daring Cooks Challenge March 2010

The 2010 March Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Eleanor of MelbournefoodGeek and Jess of Jessthebaker. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make risotto. The various components of their challenge recipe are based on input from the Australian Masterchef cookbook and the cookbook Moorish by Greg Malouf.

I love risotto and was very happy to make it for the March Daring Cooks challenge. I chose to make pumpkin risotto based on the recipe from the actual Australian Masterchef episode, rather than the cookbook recipe version. Here is my take on what I saw on the actual episode:

The next dish was risotto with pumpkin and goats cheese. George said to use rice that hasn’t been crushed together in the packet. He said not to stir risotto but agitate it instead, so the grains aren’t broken up, releasing starch. George advised that the texture of risotto should be creamy.

George had Sandra assist him as he added butter, onion, garlic and rice to a pan, coating the rice in the butter. He also added a stick of rosemary. When the onions were translucent, he deglazed the pan with white wine, pouring it around the rice.

He then had Sandra, who was atoning for her past risotto sins, add chicken stock gradually. George said at each point there should be just enough stock to cover the rice. He advised agitating the risotto every couple of minutes and then leaving it alone.

Gary put grated pumpkin and butter in a saucepan with a lid on it to cook until soft. He then blended the pumpkin. George told Sandra to take the risotto off the heat and fold through some of the pumpkin puree and parmesan cheese gently.

He plated the risotto with crumbled goats cheese and baby basil leaves on top.

Pumpkin, rosemary and goats cheese risotto. Very nice.

My chicken stock was made following the Daring Cooks recipe below. After making this stock I would consider making the addition of cinnamon and allspice optional only, as I prefer a more basic recipe so that the flavour of the stock remains in the background. I used an 8 litre pot rather than a 5 litre one.

Chicken Stock

Ingredients:
1 large chicken 2-3 pounds about 1 kg
chicken bones 2-3 pounds 1 kg
2 onions, roughly diced
1 medium leek - white part only, roughly diced
2 sticks celery, roughly diced
2 cloves garlic, halved
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp. white peppercorns ( Any type of whole peppercorn will do)
2 bay leaves (fresh or dried, it doesn't matter.)
peel of 1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp. allspice

Directions:

1. Wash the chicken and bones and places in a 5 Litre pot, cover completely with water and bring to a boil
2. Skim away any scum as it comes to the surface
3. Add the vegetables and bring back to a boil
4. Add the rest remaining ingredients and simmer very gently, uncovered for 1.5 hours
5. Carefully lift out the chicken, set aside. The chicken meat can be removed from the chicken, shredded off and used for other things like soup!
6. Simmer the stock gently for another hour. At , at the end you should have around 2 Litres
7. Carefully ladle the liquid into a fine sieve, the less the bones and vegetables are disturbed in this process the clearer the stock will be. The stock is now ready for use. Freeze what you don't need for later use.

Risotto Base

Ingredients:
olive oil 2 fluid oz 60 ml
1 small onion, quartered
rice 14 oz 400g
Any type of risotto rice will do. I use Arborio but the recipe itself says Vialone Nano. Another to look for is Carnaroli.
white wine 2 fl oz 60 ml
chicken or vegetable stock , simmering 2 pints 1 L

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add onion. Fry for a few minutes to flavour the oil then discard. (We diced ours and left it in as we like onion).
2. Add the rice and stir for a few minutes to coat each grain of rice with oil and toast slightly.
3. Add the wine and let it bubble away until evaporated.
4. Add enough stock to cover the rice by a finger’s width (about an inch or two). Don't actually stick your finger in, it will be hot. Just eye it off.
5. Cook on medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon from time to time, until most of the stock has been absorbed.
6. Repeat Step 5 making sure to leave aside approximately 100 ml. of stock for the final step. .
7. Repeat, save 100ml for the final stage.
8. Once you are at this point, the base is made. You now get to add your own variation.

Pumpkin Risotto (Masterchef Cookbook Version)

Ingredients:
pumpkin, grated 7oz 200g Don't use butternut, the taste will be too watery
thyme, chopped 1 Tbsp
unsalted butter 3.5 oz 100g chilled and cut into small cubes
parmesan cheese, grated 2 oz 60g

Directions:

1. Melt half the butter in a saucepan. Add pumpkin and cook until tender. Set aside (optional - blend for a smoother texture)
2. Make the base up until the end of step 8.
3. Stir through the pumpkin mixture and thyme
4. Add the final 100ml of stock and the remaining butter and stir until both are completely absorbed. Stir through the parmesan, stick the lid on and let it sit for a few minutes.

copyright mandarinelemon 2010