Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Timballo of Rice with Peas

The Timballo gets its name from the fact that it looks like an inverted kettledrum (Timballo or Timpani). It is made like an Italian risotto, but is baked in the oven. Recipe serves 3-4.

Ingredients:

3 ounces (90 g) butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 ounces (60 g) ham, cut into small dice
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley, plus a few sprigs to garnish
2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
2 cups shelled peas, thawed if frozen
4 tablespoons water
5 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 3/4 cups risotto rice, preferably Arborio
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
6 ounces (180 g) Fontina cheese, very thinly sliced

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Heat half the butter and all the oil in a large, heavy-based pan. Cook the onion until soft, then add the ham and stir over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the parsley and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the peas, then season and add the water.
2. Cover the pan, and cook for 8 minutes for fresh peas, or 4 minutes for frozen peas. Remove the lid and cook until the liquid has evaporated. Spoon half the mixture into a dish. Heat the stock and keep it simmering. Butter a flat-based baking dish and line with non-stick baking paper.
3. Stir the rice into the pea mixture in the pan. Heat through, then add a large spoonful of stock. Cook until this has been absorbed, stirring constantly. Add the remaining stock in the same way, adding more liquid only when the previous quantity has been absorbed.
4. After about 20 minutes, when the rice is just tender, remove it from the heat. Season and mix in most of the remaining butter and half the Parmesan cheese.
5. Assemble the timballo. Sprinkle the bottom of the baking dish with Parmesan cheese, and spoon in half the rice. Add a layer of the Fontina slices and spoon over the reserved pea and ham mixture. Smooth level, and sprinkle with Parmesan.
6. Cover with the remaining Fontina slices and end with the remaining rice. Sprinkle with the last of the Parmesan, and dot with butter. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven, and allow to stand for 10 minutes.
7. To remove from mold, slip a knife around the timballo between the rice and the dish. Place a serving plate upside down on top. Wearing oven gloves, turn over dish and plate together. Peel off the lining paper. Serve by cutting into wedges.

Risotto with Smoked Bacon and Tomato


A classic Italian risotto, with plenty of onions, smoked bacon and sun-dried tomatoes. You will want to keep going back for more! Recipe serves 4-6.

Ingredients:

8 sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil
10 ounces (310 g) good-quality smoked back bacon (rind removed)
6 tablespoons butter
1 pound (250 g) onions, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 3/4 cup risotto rice
1 3/4 cup dry white wine
4 cups simmering vegetable stock
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons mixed chopped fresh chives and flat leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Drain the sun-dried tomatoes and reserve 1 tablespoon of the oil. Roughly chop the tomatoes and set aside. Cut the bacon into 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces.
2. Heat the oil from the sun dried tomatoes in a large saucepan. Fry the bacon until well cooked and golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a saucepan and fry the onions and garlic over a medium heat for 10 minutes, until soft and golden brown.
4. Stir in the rice. Cook for 1 minute, until the grains turn translucent. Stir the wine into the stock. Add a large spoonful of the mixture to the rice and cook gently until the liquid has been absorbed.
5. Stir in another spoonful of the stock and wine mixture and allow it to be absorbed. Repeat this process until all the liquid has been used up. This should take 25-30 minutes. This risotto will turn thick and creamy, and the rice should be tender but not sticky.
6. Just before serving, stir in the bacon, sun dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, half the herbs and the remaining butter. Adjust the seasoning (remember that the bacon may be quite salty) and serve sprinkled with the remaining herbs.

Risotto with Bacon, Baby Zucchini and Peppers

This would make the perfect Italian dish to come home to after an early show at the theater. Creamy risotto topped with vegetables and crisp bacon is irresistible and easy to make. Recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces (125 g) streaky bacon, rind removed, cut into thick strips
1 3/4 cups risotto rice
5 cups hot vegetable or chicken stock
2 tablespoons single cream
3 tablespoons dry sherry
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Vegetables:
1 small red pepper, seeded
1 small green pepper, seeded
2 tablespoons butter
3 ounces (90 g) horse mushrooms, sliced
8 ounces (250 g) baby zucchini, halved
1 onion, halved and sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed

Method:

1. Heat half the oil in a frying pan. Add the bacon and heat gently until the fat runs. Increase the heat and fry until crisp, then drain on kitchen paper and set aside.
2. Heat the remaining oil in a heavy-based saucepan. Add the rice, stir to coat the grains, then spoon in a little of the hot stock. Stir until it has been absorbed. Gradually add the rest of the stock, stirring constantly.
3. Cut the peppers into chunks. Melt the butter in a separate pan and fry the peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, onion and garlic until the onion is just tender. Season well, then stir in the bacon.
4. When all the stock has been absorbed by the rice, stir in the cream, sherry, Parmesan cheese, parsley and seasoning. Spoon the risotto on to individual plates and top each portion with fried vegetables and bacon. Serve immediately.

Brown Rice Risotto with Mushrooms and Parmesan


A classic Italian risotto of mixed mushrooms, herbs and fresh Parmesan cheese, but made using brown long grain rice. Serve simply, with a mixed leaf salad tossed in a light dressing. Recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 shallots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 2/3 cup hot water for 20 minutes
1 1/2 cups brown long grain rice
3 3/4 cups well-flavoured vegetable stock
1 pound (500 g) mixed mushrooms, such as closed cup, chestnut and field mushrooms, sliced if large
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the shallots and garlic and cook gently for 5 minutes, stirring. Drain the porcini, reserving their liquid, and chop roughly. Add the brown rice to the shallot mixture and stir to coat the grains in oil.
2. Stir the vegetable stock and the porcini soaking liquid into the rice mixture in the saucepan. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed, stirring frequently.
3. Add all the mushrooms, stir well, and cook the risotto for 10-15 minutes more until the liquid has been absorbed.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste, stir in the chopped parsley and grated Parmesan and serve at once.