I found this recipe on Group Recipes, and for some reason their predictive logorithmic thingies suggested I wouldn’t like it. How could I not like this? I mean, it’s risotto. And it’s excellent. I had never considered flavoring the stock with anything, but I’m now convinced it’s the best risotto idea going. This risotto had a great kick from the cayenne and cumin, which balanced nicely with the sweetness of the roasted red peppers. Brilliant! And for once I did not over spice. It was also my first vegetarian risotto, made with the vegetable stock I made last week, so even Alex got to share. Crystal thinks it’s the best risotto yet.
I did change it up just a little tiny bit from the original recipe–I added the butter at the end, instead of cooking the leeks in it, as suggested. And I added the roasted red peppers nearer the end of the risotto cooking process, as well. Oh, and I used a bit of white wine to start it off. I can’t follow directions.
Roasted Red Pepper Risotto
(adapted from Grifter1‘s recipe)
- 2 large roasted red peppers, chopped into smallish bits
- 1 leek, sliced into thin rounds
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 c. arborio rice
- 3 – 3 1/2 c. vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 tsp. ground coriander
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. ground cayenne
- 2 T. olive oil
- 1/2 c. white wine
- 1 T. butter
- 1/2 c. Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
Heat the stock with the coriander, cumin, and cayenne until just simmering, and keep it on low-heat nearby.
Heat the oil in a large skillet and add the leeks. Cook down, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes. They should be soft but not quite browned. Add the garlic and saute for about half a minute, then add the rice. Stir it all together so the rice is coated with oil and starts to turn just barely translucent. This should take only about a minute or two. Lower the heat a bit. This is about how high you want your flame at this point:
Add the wine to the skillet, and cook, stirring, until most of the wine has been absorbed into the rice. Then start the stock-adding process. Add about half a cup at a time and cook until it’s entirely absorbed before adding more. The flame should be hot enough to keep the risotto bubbling, but not so high that it absorbs in less than two or three minutes.
Add the roasted red peppers when you have about one cup of stock left to add. You’ll know the risotto is done when it starts looking creamy, and when you taste it and it has just a little bit of bite. Remove it from the heat and stir in the butter and cheese, and serve to happy people.
It felt really great to be back in the kitchen last night. Crystal was shocked that I wanted to cook dinner, because I was so jet lagged and tired, but I really missed cooking while we were away. I was kind of surprised by that, which made it suddenly clear to me how huge a part of my life cooking has become. I guess I just have to make sure that going to the gym becomes an equally huge part of my life, before other parts of me become huge, too. Because there is no way I’m giving up risotto. Not when it tastes like this.