Pressure Cooker Risotto

Zuni Caesar Salad

A Modern Pressure Cooker

Sausage Risotto

Peach Pie from McCall's

We love risotto, but it is a time consuming effort to make. You have to stand over a stove a stir constantly as you slowly add ladles of broth to the rice mixture as it is slowly absorbed. We read that you can quickly make risotto in a pressure cooker and we were anxious to try it, to see if the process really was that easy. Short answer: YES, it does work! When we purchased our new pressure cooker we bought several pressure cooker cookbooks. These recipe is from Pressure Perfect by Lorna Sass. After sautéing what ever you want to be the major flavoring for the risotto, you simply add rice, liquid and place the top on the pressure cooker and fire away! For risotto it will take about 5 minutes. When you uncover (carefully) the risotto, just return to the heat and stir briefly to absorb any additional liquid still remaining in the pressure cooker. It is a great way to make risotto!

We started a dinner with the Zuni Caesar Salad, that we love so much. We have made it many, many times. You can get the recipe in our blog of: July 25, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe for this perfect Caesar Salad. Hint, just throw all of the Caesar dressing components in a blender and let it do ALL of the work!

We then made Sausage Risotto, following the Pressure Cooker recipe from: Pressure Perfect by Lorna Sass.

For dessert, we had a Peach Pie from McCall's Meat and Fish. It was delicious!

Basic Risotto

Pressure Perfect

Lorna Sass

Serves 4 As An Entree And 6 As A Side Dish

This basic risotto makes a good accompaniment to a broiled fish or chop. Add some shrimp or beans (see Transformations), and the risotto becomes a main dish.

Arborio is the most commonly available of the imported, plump, short-grain rices traditionally used to make risotto. If you use one of the other types of Italian risotto rice—Baldo, Vialone Nanno, or Carnaroli—cook for 5 minutes under pressure rather than 4.

4 minutes high pressure

1         tablespoon olive oil or butter

½         cup finely chopped onions or shallots

1-1/2         cups arborio rice

1-1/2         cup dry white wine or dry vermouth

3-1/2 to 4 cups chicken broth

1         teaspoon salt (omit if using salty broth)

½         cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more if needed

Freshly ground pepper

3         tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat the oil in a 4-quart or larger cooker. Add the onions and cook over high heat for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in the rice, taking care to coat it with the oil.

Stand back to avoid sputtering oil, and stir in the wine. Cook over high heat until the rice has absorbed the wine, usually about 30 seconds. Stir in 3-1/2 cups of the broth and salt (if using). Take care to scrape up any rice sticking to the bottom of the cooker.

Lock the lid in place. Over high heat bring to high pressure. Reduce the heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook for 4 minutes. Turn off the heat. Quick-release the pressure by setting the cooker under cold running water. Remove the lid, tilt­ing it away from you to allow steam to escape.

Set the cooker over medium-high heat and stir vigorously. (The risotto will look fairly soupy at this point.) Cook uncovered, stirring every minute or so, until the mixture thickens and the rice is tender but still chewy, usually 3 to 5 minutes. If the mixture becomes dry before the rice is done, stir in the remaining 1/2 cup broth. The finished risotto should be slightly runny; it will continue to thicken as it sits on the plate.

Turn off the heat. Stir in cheese, salt and pepper to taste, and the parsley.

Tip: Risotto tastes best when it's just made. However, the microwave does a nice job of reheating it.

Variations

·      Use beef, veal, or vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

·      Use half grated parmesan and half grated romano.

·      Use dry red wine instead of white.

·      Add 1 teaspoon fennel seeds along with onions.

·      Stir in a few ounces baby spinach shortly before rice is done.

Transformations (Follow basic recipe except as noted.)

·      Risotto Milanese: Steep 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads in 1 tablespoon warm water for 10 minutes or longer. After releasing pressure, stir in saffron and soaking water. Risotto Milanese is traditionally served with osso bucco

·      Risotto Du Jour: Stir in bite-sized pieces of roasted chicken,
cooked meat, or vegetables shortly before rice is done.

·      Risotto with Butternut Squash: After adding broth, stir in 1-1/2 pounds butternut squash that's been peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 3 cups). After releasing pressure, stir well to dissolve squash into a thick sauce (with perhaps a few chunks remaining). Along with parmesan, add 2 teaspoons minced fresh sage or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried. (For a vegetarian ver­sion, substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth.)

·      Risotto with Ham, Gruyere, and Peas: Just before rice is tender, stir in 2 cups diced, cooked ham and 1 cup frozen peas. Reduce parmesan to 1/4 cup and add 1 cup loosely packed shredded Gruyere. (For a vegetarian version, use vegetable broth and omit ham.)

·      Risotto with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Smoked Mozzarella: After releasing pressure, stir in 1/3 cup chopped, oilI packed sun-dried tomatoes. When rice is cooked, turn off heat  and stir in 6 ounces (1 cup tightly packed) shredded or diced I smoked mozzarella. Omit parmesan. Instead of parsley, stir in 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, if you wish. (For a vegetarian version, use vegetable broth.)

·      Risotto with Fresh Sausage, White Beans, and Tomato: After adding onions, stir in 1/2 pound fresh Italian sausage (sweet or hot; casings removed). Break up sausage meat and brown. Instead of broth, use 2-1/2 cups water. After stirring in water and salt, pour a can (15 ounces) of diced tomatoes, including liquid, on top. Do not stir after adding tomatoes. After pressure release, stir in 1 cup cooked white beans. Increase parsley to ¼ cup.

·      Shrimp Risotto: Add 6 oil-packed anchovies, finely chopped, when you add onion. (They will dissolve during cooking and give risotto a mildly briny flavor.) Add ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar when you stir in wine. About 1 minute before rice is tendcr, stir in 1 pound medium peeled raw shrimp (or large shrimp, halved lengthwise), 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion greens, and 1 to 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest. Omit the parmesan.

·      Risotto with Chickpeas, Spinach, and Raisins: After releasing pressure, stir in 1 clove garlic, pushed through a press, 3 tablespoons each raisins and pitted, chopped oil-cured black olives, and 1-1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (or a 15-ounce can, rinsed and drained). Once mixture has returned to a boil, stir in a total of 4 tightly packed cups (about 8 ounces) finely chopped fresh spinach is wilted and the rice is tender. Substitute 2 to 3 tablespoons grated pecorino romano for the parmesan. (Adapted from Judith Barrett's Risotto.)

·      Porcini Rlsotto: Soak 1 ounce (about 1 cup) dried porcini in 2 cups boiling water until soft, about 10 minutes. Reduce chicken broth to 1-1/2 to 2 cups. After adding 1-1/2 cups chicken broth, stir in soaked mushrooms. Pour in soaking liquid, taking care to leave behind any grit that has settled to bottom.