Risottos Are Red

This weekend I visited my dearest Alison in our nation's capital. She and I are both social and foodie sorts, so as often as possible we combine these two passions for fêtes avec food. True to form, this weekend we threw a small dinner party. For company, we had what Alison's adorable 15-year-old brother deemed "a smart group." And it's true that the conversation never disappointed (especially when we went around the room and each announced how many times we'd been in love. Try that the next time you're in a group that includes some perfect strangers and some newish couples.)

As for the FOOD: Alison whipped up a succulent concoction of chicken legs, prunes, white wine, olives, and almonds. She'd let those bird gams marinate for hours and hours and oh my, were they delicious for it. We also put out several types of cheese (thanks Prateek!), numerous bottles of wine, Alison's Glorious Chocolate Chip Cookies, and an impromptu Swiss Chard Bruschetta (again, thanks Prateek!). Given my proclivity for all things red and all things carbohydrate and all things vino, I found a nice little Red Wine Risotto With Peas recipe, courtesy of she-of-the-heaving-bosom, Giada De Laurentiss. The crowd seemed to love the dish (owing, perhaps, to the rainy weather, the wine they had already consumed, and the few extra shakes of Syrah and fromage I added to the serving bowl at the last minute.) Anyway, fellow rice-lovers, you can find the recipe below [with my comments]. It works with white wine, as well. We're also considering a version with mushrooms and Guinness. You want an invite to that gathering, now don't you?

(It's also important to note that we managed to consume as many bottles of wine as there were people in attendance. I now think this is a great formula to use when judging the success of a dinner party.)








The Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth [we used organic vegetable broth, in case vegetarians arrived]
  
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  
• 1 cup finely chopped onion [this is about one onion]
  
• 2 garlic cloves, minced [we chopped them roughly and by hand, as Alison's garlic press failed to press garlic but succeeded in resembling an 18th century torture device]
  
• 1 cup arborio rice, or medium-grain white rice
• 1/2 cup dry red wine [slosh on some extra at the end, for good measure — what good's a recipe when all the alcohol's been cooked off?]
  
• 1/3 cup frozen peas, defrosted, optional
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus additional for garnish
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

The Directions

Bring the broth to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover the broth and keep it warm over very low heat.

Melt the butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in the rice and cook for about 2 minutes until the rice is toasted. Add the wine and stir until it is absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 3/4 cup of hot broth; simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 6 minutes. Repeat, adding 3/4 cup of hot broth 2 more times, stirring often, about 12 minutes longer. At this point, the risotto can be made 4 hours ahead. Refrigerate the risotto (the rice will still be firm) and remaining broth, uncovered, until cool, then cover and keep them refrigerated until ready to proceed.

[I recommend that you DON'T leave the risotto to "simmer" while you enjoy a glass of red and some cheese in the other room. Get a good friend to keep you company while you stir, and do stir constantly.]

Bring the remaining broth to a simmer, then cover and keep it warm over very low heat. Stir 3/4 cup of hot broth into the partially cooked risotto over medium heat until the broth is absorbed and the risotto is hot, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining broth and simmer until the rice is just tender and the mixture is creamy, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in the peas and parsley. Add the 1/2 cup of Parmesan. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Spoon the risotto into bowls. Sprinkle [loads of] additional cheese over and serve.