Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (105 page)
BUYING SAFFRON
Sometimes known as “red gold,” saffron is the world’s most expensive spice. It’s made from the dried stigmas of
Crocus sativus
flowers; the stigmas are so delicate they must be harvested by hand in a painstaking process. (It takes about 200 hours to pick enough stigmas to produce just 1 pound of saffron, which typically sells for thousands of dollars.)
Luckily, a little saffron goes a long way, adding a distinct reddish-gold color, notes of honey and grass, and a slight hint of bitterness to dishes like bouillabaisse, paella, and risotto. When shopping for saffron, what should you look for? We’ve seen threads that were incredibly red and other threads that also contained some yellow or orange. We held a small tasting of broths infused with different saffron samples, and the threads with considerable spots of yellow and orange yielded the weakest-colored and flattest-tasting broths.
The reddest threads yielded intensely flavorful, heady, perfumed broths. So, when shopping, go for red—the reddest threads, that is, with no spots of yellow or orange. Or, to save money, a good-quality powdered saffron purchased from a reputable source would be just as flavorful and fragrant as even the highest-quality threads.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Bland flavor and mushy vegetables can ruin this Italian classic. We wanted a risotto primavera with fresh yet complex flavors and vegetables that retained some bite. We started with the classic combination of asparagus and leeks. The leeks melted down beautifully as their delicate flavor infused the rice. The asparagus had to be handled separately; sautéing the trimmed spears and stirring them into the rice right before serving kept them from turning into mush. For a third vegetable, we added frozen peas. For a stronger backbone of flavor, we simmered the leek greens and tough stems of the asparagus in the chicken broth we used for cooking the rice. To round out and brighten the dish, we topped it with a gremolata of parsley, mint, and lemon zest.
SERVES 4
To make this dish vegetarian, replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth. Onions can be substituted for the leeks. If substituting onions, use 1 roughly chopped onion in the broth and 2 finely chopped onions in the risotto.
GREMOLATA
2 | tablespoons minced fresh parsley, stems reserved |
2 | tablespoons minced fresh mint, stems reserved |
¹⁄ | teaspoon grated lemon zest |
RISOTTO
1 | pound asparagus, trimmed, tough ends reserved and chopped coarse, spears cut on bias into ¹⁄ |
2 | leeks, white and light green parts halved lengthwise, sliced thin, and washed thoroughly; dark green parts chopped coarse |
4 | cups low-sodium chicken broth |
3 | cups water |
5 | tablespoons unsalted butter |
Salt and pepper | |
¹⁄ | cup frozen peas |
2 | garlic cloves, minced |
1¹⁄ | cups Arborio rice |
1 | cup dry white wine |
1¹⁄ | ounces Parmesan cheese grated (³⁄ |
2 | teaspoons lemon juice |
1. FOR THE GREMOLATA:
Combine all ingredients in small bowl and set aside.
2. FOR THE RISOTTO:
Bring chopped asparagus ends, chopped dark green leek parts, reserved parsley and mint stems, broth, and water to boil in large saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer into medium bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Return strained broth to saucepan, cover, and set over low heat to keep broth warm.
3.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add asparagus spears, pinch salt, and pinch pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until asparagus is crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add peas and continue to cook for 1 minute. Transfer vegetables to plate and set aside.
4.
Melt 3 tablespoons butter in now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat. Add white and light green leek parts, garlic, ¹⁄
2
teaspoon salt, and ¹⁄
2
teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring frequently, until grains are translucent around edges, about 3 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring frequently, until fully absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes.
5.
Add 3 cups hot broth mixture to rice. Simmer, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and bottom of pan is almost dry, about 12 minutes.
6.
Stir in about ¹⁄
2
cup hot broth mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until absorbed, about 3 minutes; repeat with additional broth mixture 3 or 4 times until rice is al dente. Off heat, stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter, Parmesan, and lemon juice. Gently fold in asparagus and peas. To loosen texture of risotto, add remaining broth mixture to taste. Serve immediately, sprinkling each serving with gremolata and passing Parmesan separately.
Substitute 3 carrots, peeled and cut into ¹⁄
2
-inch pieces, peels and trimmings chopped coarse, for asparagus; boil chopped carrot peels and trimmings with dark green leek parts. Cook carrots in step 3 until crisp-tender, 8 to 10 minutes; transfer to plate and set aside. Substitute 4 ounces watercress (4 cups) for peas; once rice is al dente in step 6, stir in watercress, cover pot, and let stand for 1 minute. After stirring in butter, Parmesan, and lemon juice, gently fold in carrots.
Substitute 1 large bulb fennel, trimmed of stalks, bulb halved, cored, and cut into ¹⁄
2
-inch pieces, stalks and core chopped coarse, for asparagus; boil chopped fennel stalks and core with dark green leek parts. Cook fennel in step 3 until crisp-tender, 8 to 10 minutes; transfer to plate and set aside. Substitute 6 ounces baby spinach (6 cups) for peas; once rice is al dente in step 6, stir in spinach, cover pot, and let stand for 1 minute. After stirring in butter, Parmesan, and lemon juice, gently fold in fennel.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Italians prepare farro, the whole grain form of wheat, much like how they cook Arborio rice for risotto, by cooking the farro slowly into a creamy dish called farotto. We set out to come up with our own version, one that took half an hour or less, yet still produced a dish that was creamy and rich, while highlighting farro’s nutty flavor and chewy texture. To do so, we adapted the method we developed for
NO-FUSS RISOTTO
, which adds the bulk of the liquid at the beginning of cooking, keeps the pot covered, and requires less stirring throughout. A few modifications were in order, however. Farro, it turns out, does require frequent stirring to ensure that the grains cook evenly. And instead of keeping the lid on, we removed it—after all, it made sense if we were stirring. We also found that we didn’t need to warm the liquid before adding it to the pot—the farro cooked through just fine. As for flavorings, onion was a good start and garlic, thyme, and sweet, earthy carrots made our farro even better. In early tests, we followed risotto-making tradition by finishing the farro with butter and Parmesan, but these additions masked the nutty grain. Instead, we opted for a fresher finish, substituting fresh chopped parsley and lemon juice, which delivered a light, bright version of this rich and creamy grain dish.
SERVES 4 TO 6
Look for farro in well-stocked supermarkets near the rice and other grains or in the bulk foods section.
1 | tablespoon olive oil |
1 | onion, chopped fine |
1 | carrot, peeled and chopped fine |
Salt and pepper | |
3 | garlic cloves, minced |
1 | teaspoon minced fresh thyme |
1¹⁄ | cups farro |
2 | cups low-sodium chicken broth |
1¹⁄ | cups water |
2 | tablespoons chopped fresh parsley |
1 | teaspoon lemon juice |
1.
Combine oil, onion, carrot, and ¹⁄
4
teaspoon salt in large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2.
Stir in farro and cook until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth and water and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low and continue to simmer, stirring often, until farro is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
3.
Stir in parsley and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
W
HY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Butternut squash and risotto should make a perfect culinary couple, but too often the squash and rice never become properly intertwined. The squash is reduced to overly sweet orange blobs or the whole dish becomes a gluey squash paste. We wanted a creamy, orange-tinted rice fully infused with deep (but not overly sweet) squash flavor. To perfect our risotto, we concentrated on developing the flavor of the squash and keeping it tender. First, we sautéed the squash to intensify its flavor. Next, we found that adding the squash in two stages, half with the toasted rice and half just before serving, gave us great squash flavor and preserved its delicate texture. Finally, we sautéed the squash seeds and fibers, then steeped them in the chicken broth before straining the liquid and using it to cook the rice—this step infused the dish with sweet, earthy butternut squash flavor. Parmesan cheese added richness and fresh sage and nutmeg lent our risotto woodsy, warm notes.
SERVES 4
We found that a 2-pound squash consistently yields a cup or so more than the 3¹⁄
2
cups needed in step 1; the extra squash can be added to the skillet along with the squash fibers and seeds in step 2. To make this dish vegetarian, vegetable broth can be used instead of chicken broth, but the resulting risotto will have a more pronounced sweetness.
2 | tablespoons olive oil |
2 | pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded with fibers and seeds reserved, and cut into ¹⁄ |
Salt and pepper | |
4 | cups low-sodium chicken broth |
1 | cup water |
4 | tablespoons unsalted butter |
2 | small onions, chopped fine |
2 | garlic cloves, minced |
2 | cups Arborio rice |
1¹⁄ | cups dry white wine |
1¹⁄ | ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (³⁄ |
2 | tablespoons minced fresh sage |
¹⁄ | teaspoon ground nutmeg |
1.
Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 3¹⁄
2
cups squash, spread in even layer, and cook without stirring until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in ¹⁄
4
teaspoon salt and ¹⁄
4
teaspoon pepper. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until squash is tender and browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer squash to bowl and set aside.
2.
Return skillet to medium heat; add reserved squash fibers and seeds and any leftover squash cubes. Cook, stirring frequently to break up fibers, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to large saucepan and add broth and water. Cover saucepan and bring mixture to simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain bare simmer.
3.
Melt 3 tablespoons butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, ¹⁄
2
teaspoon salt, and ¹⁄
2
teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add rice to skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until grains are translucent around edges, about 3 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring frequently, until fully absorbed, 4 to 5 minutes.
4.
Meanwhile, strain hot broth mixture through fine-mesh strainer into medium bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Return strained broth to saucepan and discard solids; cover saucepan and set over low heat.
5.
Add 3 cups hot broth mixture and half of reserved squash to rice. Simmer, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and bottom of pan is almost dry, about 12 minutes.
6.
Stir in ¹⁄
2
cup hot broth mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until absorbed, about 3 minutes; repeat with additional broth 2 or 3 times until rice is al dente. Off heat, stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter, Parmesan, sage, and nutmeg; gently fold in remaining cooked squash. Serve immediately.
In step 2, after transferring sautéed squash seeds and fibers to saucepan, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in now-empty skillet until shimmering. Add 4 ounces baby spinach (4 cups) and cook, covered, over medium heat, until leaves begin to wilt, about 2 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring constantly, until fully wilted, about 30 seconds. Transfer spinach to fine-mesh strainer. Drain excess liquid from spinach and stir into risotto along with remaining squash in step 6. Top individual servings with ¹⁄
4
cup toasted pine nuts.
