Recipe: Saffron and Morel Risotto

We think this is one of the best damned risotto dishes we've ever had. It's very rich. Serves four as a first course.

To the basic recipe add:

1 big pinch of saffron
1/2-1 oz of dried morels
2 tbsp. fresh chopped Italian parsley, with extra for garnish

Soak the morels in 1 cup of hot water until soft (~ 20 minutes). Squeeze the morels dry and cut in half lengthwise. Run them very well under running water. Strain the soaking liquid through a double layer of cheesecloth and a strainer, or through a coffee filter and set aside.

Add the morels when you add the rice. The reserved mushroom soaking water will be the first liquid you add, after the wine. At the same time, add the saffron. Continue to cook as per the recipe. When you add the cheese, also stir in the parsley. Serve and top with a little more parsley and cheese.

If you've got some old red wines that have some mushroomy earthiness to them, this is the dish you want. We've had it with old bordeaux (St. Emilion to be exact) and found it to be a flawless match. An old cabernet or Meritage such as Joseph Phelps Insignia will also work well. We plan on giving it a spin with an old Rioja too.

Recipe: Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I hated Brussels Sprouts, hated 'em. Then I had the oven-roasted version at Lulu's in San Francisco. Consider me converted. This is a stovetop variation that is a little more intense. Serves four as a side dish.

1 - 1 ½ lbs - Brussels sprouts (you want the small, hard ones)
2-3 tbsp - Olive oil
2 tbsp - Balsamic vinegar
¼ cup - butter
½ cup - chopped pecans

Trim off the outer leaves of the Brussels sprouts. In a heavy pan (cast iron works very well), sauté the sprouts on medium-high heat in olive oil until they start to brown. Add the balsamic vinegar, turn the heat to low and cover. After a couple of minutes, add ¼ cup of water. Cook until the sprouts start to soften, ~ 8-10 minutes. They should brown but not burn. Turn the heat back up to high, add the butter and the pecans. Saute for a minute or so, until the pecans are lightly toasted. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

For the meat averse out there, this and the Spiced Rice make a good meal.

Recipe: Collard Greens with Red Onions

Very robust. Serves four as a side dish.

2 - bunches collard greens, washed with the stem removed and cut crosswise into 1" strips (Make sure you get most of it, it's very tough)
1 - large red onion, peeled, halved and sliced ½" thick
4 - cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thin
½ cup - chicken or vegetable stock
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Saute the onions in olive oil over medium - high heat until they start to brown and turn translucent, about 7-8 minutes. Add the collard greens, toss with the onions and cover the pan. Turn down the heat to medium. After five minutes, add the garlic and stock. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let this cook for about 15 minutes, being careful not to burn it. You may need to add a little more stock. The dish is done when the greens are tender and slightly caramelized.

This dish will stand up to just about any red wine. For you meat haters out there, this and the Spiced Rice would make a great meal.

Recipe: Cannelini Beans with Swiss Chard

Cannelini beans are the king of the dried bean world. They're a white kidney bean that cooks up very tender and have great flavor. Recipe serves 6-8 as a side dish.

1 lb - dried Cannelini beans
½ cup - diced yellow onions
½ cup - diced carrots
½ cup - diced celery
5 - unpeeled garlic cloves
A bouquet garni with fresh thyme, bay leaves and parsley
2 - bunches Swiss chard washed and cut crosswise into 1" strips
3 - garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Follow the soaking directions on the bean package, or, if you like your beans fully farted, don't bother soaking them first. Be aware that this adds some time to the cooking process.

Sweat the onions, carrots and celery in olive oil in a pot big enough to hold the beans and enough water to cover by at least an inch. Add the beans, unpeeled garlic cloves and the bouquet garni. Add a few grinds from the pepper grinder. Add enough water to cover the beans by an inch or two. Bring the beans to a boil. Partially cover and turn down to a simmer. Don't let water level drop too low or you will have some undercooked beans in your final dish. Cannelini beans cook faster than your average dry bean, so start checking them for doneness after about 30 minutes. Don't add salt until the beans are done.

While the beans are cooking, saute the Swiss Chard and the chopped garlic for a few minutes. Add a little white wine or water, cover, and cook until the chard is tender.

Mix the chard into the beans, adjust the seasoning and serve. Drizzle with your best extra virgin olive oil just before serving.

This is also a good stand alone dish for the veggie only folks.

Recipe: Basic Risotto

Recipe serves four as a first course.

1 small yellow onion, diced fairly fine
1 cup Arborio rice
2-3 tbsp of good olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1-2 tbsp butter, or high quality extra virgin olive oil (optional)
1/4 cup freshly grated Reggiano parmesan, plus extra for garnishing
Salt and pepper

The stock needs to be in a separate pot on the stove at a strong simmer (A note on canned stocks, they can be awfully salty and can even impart a metallic taste to your dish. We usually cut it one to one with water. But try to use a "real" stock, which rises in importance when the risotto is a simple one). You'll need a ladle to add the stock with and a strong spoon or spatula to stir the risotto with. The pot for the risotto needs to be large (5 quart will work well) and as heavy as possible. An enameled Le Crueset pot works very well, as will most heavy stock pots.

Sweat the onions in the olive oil over medium high heat until translucent, about 5-8 minutes. Don't let them brown. Add the rice and continue to stir for a couple of minutes until the grains are all coated with oil and are starting to get translucent.

At this point, add the wine and stir the rice. As the liquid is absorbed and the rice stops sticking to the side of the pot, add a cup of the stock. Continue stirring, adding liquid as needed. As the rice gets closer to being done, the liquid will not absorb as quickly, so you will need to decrease the amount you put in each time. After 18-20 minutes, taste the rice for doneness. It should be al dente but not crunchy and not mushy. If it's not done, cook it a couple of minutes longer and test it again. If it's mushy, better luck next time.

At the point it reaches al dente, stir in the butter (optional) and parmesan, and adjust the seasoning. You won't need very much pepper, if any. The rice should be smooth and creamy without being soupy or clumpy. Serve it up and top it with the reserved cheese.

With the basic technique mastered (it may take a ruined dish or two, but you'll get it), you can do all sorts of variations to suit ingredients on hand. One trick is to precook the added ingredients, then add them near the end. This makes the timing of the dish much simpler.