The Essential James Beard Cookbook (56 page)

Keep the stock hot in a pan on another burner. When making risotto, the stock is added in increments, not all at once, so it must be kept at a simmer or the rice will not cook properly. When the rice is coated with the butter, pour 1 cup of the stock into a measuring cup and add to the rice. Stir vigorously for a minute with a fork, then let the rice cook over medium-high heat until the liquid is almost absorbed, stirring it now and then so it does not stick to the pan. Add another cup of stock and continue to cook and stir until the liquid is almost absorbed. The rice should bubble and gradually soften and become creamy—at this point, add the stock more cautiously, ½ cup at a time, stirring until it is absorbed. You don’t want to drown the rice with liquid, only add as much as it can absorb. You may find you need less, or possibly more, than the amount specified. As it cooks, taste a grain now and then. When the risotto is done, after 25 to 30 minutes, the rice will be creamy and tender, but still al dente in the center, just firm to the bite, with all the liquid absorbed. Keep stirring well in the final cooking to prevent the rice from sticking to the pan. When done, sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and stir it in with the fork. Season with salt and pepper. Serve at once, on hot plates.

VARIATIONS

SAFFRON RISOTTO:
This is the traditional accompaniment to
Ossi Buchi
. Stir ½ teaspoon crushed saffron threads into the risotto with the first addition of stock.

RISOTTO VILLA D’ESTE (RISOTTO WITH SMOKED SALMON):
Cook the risotto as before, but substitute simmering
Fish Stock
for the chicken stock. When the risotto is almost done, stir in ½ cup heavy cream and let it cook down for 1 minute. Then stir in
²
⁄
₃
cup finely shredded smoked salmon, distributing it evenly through the rice, 2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, and 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve at once. A tablespoon or two of finely chopped fresh dill may be mixed in for an unorthodox but delicious touch.

RISOTTO AL FRUTTI DI MARE

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Editor: In this risotto recipe from the 1960s, the rice is long-grain and cooked in the conventional American manner. If you wish, use Italian short-grain rice, such as Arborio, and prepare according to the basic “stirred”
risotto
recipe. Stir the cooked shellfish into the risotto.

1 pound medium shrimp or scallops

1 pound cooked crabmeat or lobster

12 to 14 littleneck clams or mussels, well scrubbed

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, plus more as needed

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

2 cups long-grain rice

1 cup dry white wine

3 cups
Chicken Stock
or
Fish Stock
, or canned chicken stock or bottled clam juice

Dry sherry or Port

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

You may combine any type of seafood for this dish. Use any three of the recommendations above, preparing each variety of shellfish separately: Boil the shrimp until pink, then peel and devein them (or buy ready-cooked); sauté the scallops in a little butter just until seared on the outside; chunk the crabmeat or cut the lobster into bite-size pieces; steam the clams or mussels until they open. Set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy large skillet, and sauté the onion until just tender. Add the rice, and toss with a fork; do not let the rice brown. Add the wine, and cook until it has almost evaporated. Then add the stock, cover, and cook over low heat for 20 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed. If rice is not yet tender (to your taste), add more broth, and continue cooking.

Combine the selected seafood and heat over low heat with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and a dash of sherry or Port just until hot. Fold into the risotto. Add the grated Parmesan and chopped parsley to taste. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.

PAELLA

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

For this variation of the Spanish paella, try making it with chicken wings rather than the cut-up whole chicken.

Editor: Beard would have probably used long-grain rice because short-grain rice (such as Spanish Calasparra or Bomba or Italian Arborio) weren’t commonplace. Short-grain rice is stickier than long-grain, and makes the paella easier to serve. Use either variety for your paella, but as the short-grain isn’t hard to find now, it would be more authentic.

8 chicken wings, cut apart at the joints, wing tips discarded

All-purpose flour

6 tablespoons peanut oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1½ cups long-grain white rice [see Editor’s Note]

Chicken Stock
or water, heated to boiling, as needed

Pinch of saffron threads

1 or 2 links Spanish smoked chorizo, sliced

½ cup drained and chopped canned tomatoes

24 littleneck clams, in their shells, well scrubbed

12 large shrimp, unpeeled

3 pimientos, drained and cut into thin strips

1 cup frozen green peas, thawed

Flour the chicken wings, and brown in oil in a very large skillet or paella pan over medium heat, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, transfer to a platter, and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Sauté the onion and garlic in the oil in the skillet until soft. Add the rice and stir until well coated with oil and translucent. Pour in enough boiling chicken broth to cover the rice, then season with salt, pepper and the saffron and let the liquid cook down for a minute or two. Add the chicken wings, sliced sausages, tomatoes, and additional liquid, if necessary. Simmer over low heat until the rice is just beginning to get tender, about 15 minutes; add the clams and shrimp. Cook until the shrimp are pink and cooked through and the clam shells open. Nearly all the liquid should have cooked away at this point; if it has not, raise the heat until it evaporates, leaving the rice firm and the grains separated. Garnish with pimiento strips and the peas (the heat from the paella will warm them through).

BARLEY WITH MUSHROOMS

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Editor: Be sure to use pearled barley for this recipe, as hulled barley takes much longer to cook and is quite chewy. To toast the almonds, cook in a skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.

4 to 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the casserole

1 large yellow onion, chopped

8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced

1 cup pearled barley

2 cups
Beef Broth
or
Chicken Broth

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

¹
⁄
₃
cup slivered almonds, toasted

In a skillet, melt the butter and sauté the onions and mushrooms until soft. Add the barley and brown it lightly. Pour into a buttered 2- to 3-quart casserole. Before you pour the broth over the barley, taste it for seasoning. If it has enough, the ingredients will need no additional salt or pepper; otherwise, season to taste. Pour 1 cup of the broth over the barley in the casserole and cover. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes, then uncover and add the remaining cup of broth. Continue cooking until the liquid is absorbed and the barley is done. Add the almonds just before serving.

BULGHUR (CRACKED WHEAT) PILAF

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Bulghur, or cracked wheat, a staple of Middle Eastern cooking, is light golden brown in color, with a nutty taste and texture. It is an excellent alternative to rice; and may be used, like cooked rice, for stuffings.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon finely chopped yellow onion

1 cup medium- or coarse-grind cracked wheat (bulghur)

2 cups
Chicken Stock

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a skillet; add the onion and sauté over medium heat for 2 or 3 minutes, stirring, until limp and golden. Add the cracked wheat and stir until the grains are well coated with butter. Add the stock, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Lower the heat; cover the pan tightly and simmer gently for 15 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the wheat is tender.

TABBOULEH

MAKES 4 TO 5 SERVINGS

This Middle Eastern salad is immensely refreshing on a hot day and especially good with broiled chicken or kebabs. Be sure to use the fine grade of bulghur (cracked wheat); the others are too coarse for this salad. You can buy it in Middle Eastern groceries or health-food stores.

½ cup fine-grind bulghur (cracked wheat)

3 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped

1 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 cup finely chopped scallions (white and green parts)

¹
⁄
₃
cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Kosher salt

¹
⁄
₃
cup olive oil

¼ cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves or 2½ tablespoons dried mint, crushed with your fingers

Boston or romaine lettuce leaves, for serving

Soak the bulghur in cold water to cover for 30 minutes. Drain in a wire sieve lined with rinsed cheesecloth to prevent the fine grains from falling through, then twist the cheesecloth into a bag and wring out the remaining moisture from the bulghur. Put the bulghur on a clean, dry dish towel, pat out flat, and leave until fairly dry.

Put the bulghur in a large bowl; add the tomatoes, parsley, scallions, lemon juice, and salt to taste. Mix gently but thoroughly, using your hands or wooden spoons. Just before serving, mix in the oil and mint. Taste, and correct the seasoning, if necessary. Serve on lettuce leaves.

CORNMEAL MUSH

(POLENTA)

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

American cornmeal mush, which is basically the same as Italian polenta, is a good and somewhat different accompaniment to meats, especially pork, game, chicken, sausages, chili and spicy Mexican dishes, or with salt cod, spinach, or just tomato sauce. Mixing the cornmeal with cold water first makes the texture less grainy.

1½ cups yellow cornmeal

4½ cups water

1 teaspoon kosher salt

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Put the cornmeal in the metal insert of a double boiler and stir in 1 cup of the cold water. Mix well. Bring the remaining 3½ cups water to a boil in a saucepan, and stir into the cornmeal mixture. Bring the cornmeal mixture, still in the metal insert, to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Stir the salt into the cornmeal mush. Meanwhile, add enough water to the double boiler to come just below the bottom of the insert, and bring to a simmer. Place the insert in the double boiler, cover, and steam over the simmering water for 1 hour. Stir in the butter and cheese, and serve.