Meatless Monday: A Culinary Breakthrough – Low-Maintenance Risotto with Asparagus, Parmesan and Lemon
April 5, 2010 in Gluten Free, Healthy Fare, Side Dishes
Low-Maintenance Risotto with Lemon, Asparagus and Parmesan
The current issue of Cook’s Illustrated magazine features a revolutionary way of cooking risotto. I love risotto – it is one of the very few dishes that is better when cooked at home than when served in a restaurant because of the high-maintenance and finicky nature of the dish and the attentiveness that a home cook can give.
The CI recipe is called “Almost No-Stir Risotto.” Since I have shied away from making risotto because of the high-maintenance nature of the dish, I knew I had to try this method for Meatless Monday. I had problems with the old method of constant stirring for 30 minutes – when you’re distracted making other dishes, neglect can result in disasters such as burnt bottom crust.
No so with this new method!
The risotto, CI found, does not need stirring during the first 15 minutes of cooking because the boiling itself creates enough agitation to keep the rice moving. Then, you just remove the lid and stir for about 3 minutes, remove the pot from the heat and let sit for another 5 minutes and – VOILA! - a risotto that is every bit as creamy as the old-school method. I promise. Even a trained discerning culinary palate will not be able to tell the difference!
