Milanese and Tuscan Risotto.
Source of Recipe
Adapted from recipes by* [Frank Pellegrini, The Unprejudiced Palate, 1948]
Recipe Introduction
[an excellent and nourishing dish] Risotto, of which there are two authentic versions, the Milanese and the Tuscan. Good broth is necessary for both.
List of Ingredients
Melanese version:
1 large onion
handful mushrooms cut in pieces
soup stock
two cups (for six servings) of raw long-grain rice
salt and pepper to taste
margarine
garnish
Tuscan version:
TVP
2 or 3 sprigs of parsey
one of thyme
few leaves of basil
small onion
clove of garlic
olive oil
mushrooms
small tin of tomator sauce
half pound raw spinach coarsely cutRecipe
For the Milanese, proceed as follows: Place in a skillet enough olive oil to cover the bottom. Add a large onion
finely minced and cook slowly just short of browning. While the onion is cooking, add a handful of mushrooms cut in small pieces. If the dry ones are used they should be soaked for a few minutes in a cup of hot stock. (The mushroom- flavored stock will be later added to the rice.)
Two quarts of stock should be heating while these ingredients are being prepared. When the onion and mushrooms have cooked sufficiently, throw in two cups (for six servings) of raw long-grain rice, washed and well drained. Stir briskly for two or three minutes over a medium fire. Avoid burning the rice, for if you do, it will become hard as granite and as difficult to cook. When the rice is well assimilated with the ingredients in the skillet, add enough of the hot broth barely to cover the rice. Give it a good stir, increase the heat, and cover. As it begins to bubble and spurt, stir again so that the rice will not cling to the bottom. When the broth has been completely absorbed, add more, and repeat the above routine until the rice is cooked. Stir frequently, salt and pepper to taste, and don't leave the kitchen or you run the risk of complete failure.
When the rice is done it should be somewhat fluid, about the
consistency of thinnish mush, so that when put on the dish it will slowly spread out. Before serving, stir in a piece of vegan margarine about the size of a lemon. Garnish as you please. The Milanese dissolve a pinch of saffron in broth and add it to the rice before serving. I advise against it,
and if you want to know the reason, try it once.
For the Tuscan version, these are the directions:
Soak enough TVP to make about a half a pound after it has been drained. Mince two or three sprigs of parsley, one of thyme, a few leaves of basil when in season, a very small onion, and a clove of garlic. They must be minced to a pulp. Add to a frying pan with some olive oil and the mince, and continue cooking over a slow fire for a few minutes. /The herbs should not be browned./ Add as many mushrooms as
you please without, of course, losing your fine sense of proportion.
Increase the fire and add a small tin of tomato sauce with double that amount of broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer for a few minutes. Put in the rice and proceed as for the Milanese recipe. When the rice is three-fourths done, add half a pound of raw spinach coarsely cut. Stir well and complete the cooking. The spinach may be omitted. Try it both ways. This dish, with salad and your favorite dessert, is one of the most elegant among inexpensive dinners.
A final warning: Risotto is a dish that /must/ be served immediately after it is cooked. If it stands for even a few minutes, the binding starches go to work and you have a mess on your hands. From first to last, it requires constant attention while cooking, with frequent stirring to keep it loose and fluid. Additional broth should be added the minute the preceding bath has been absorbed. And when you serve
it, be certain it isn't too thick.
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