Flavours of home is a series of recipes from around the world cooked by people at home in Otago. This week Antonella Vecchiato from Italy shows us how to make risotto.
Antonella Vecchiato came to New Zealand five years ago with her Japanese husband, who teaches at the University of the Otago, and their son Elia, now 6.
They met when they were both PhD students in Los Angeles.
Antonella grew up in the north of Italy, near Venice, and her mother used to make risotto on special occasions such as Sunday lunch.
Lasagne and gnocchi were other special-occasion dishes.
She learnt to make risotto from watching her mother and learning how to taste to decide when the rice is ready.
A good risotto should be creamy but the rice still have a little bite.
Her mother's favourite flavouring was mushrooms, but you can use anything - pumpkin, asparagus, seafood or whatever you like.
Antonella Vecchiato's Prawn and zucchini risotto
12 big prawns
4 zucchini (courgettes)
400g arborio rice
1 big onion or two small ones
100g butter or extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch parsley
½ glass white wine
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the stock:
1 celery leaf
1 carrot
1 onion
2 litres water.
Serves four.
Start with the stock, putting the celery, carrot and onion into the water and bringing it to the boil.
Add the prawns and let them cook until they become orange, which takes only about 3-5 minutes.
Remove the prawns.
Take the heads and bodies off the prawns and return to the stock, add salt to taste and let it simmer for about half an hour.
Meanwhile, peel the prawn tails and cut each into three.
Cut the zucchini into small pieces about the same size as the prawn pieces.
Chop the onion finely, and chop the parsley separately.
Remove the prawn bodies and vegetables from the stock and keep it simmering on a low flame.
Heat the butter or oil and cook the onion gently for a few minutes until soft.
Stir in the rice so it is well coated with the onion and butter or oil.
Add the wine and let it evaporate.
Add the zucchini and five or six ladles of stock, and stir until the liquid is mostly absorbed.
Keep adding hot stock and stirring until the rice is cooked - about 20 minutes.
Season to taste with salt.
The rice should be cooked but still al dente (slightly firm to the bite) and the consistency should be loose, almost runny.
Make sure it does not catch on the bottom of the pan towards the end.
Check the seasoning, stir in pepper, parsley, the remaining butter and the cooked prawn tails.
Let the risotto stand for five minutes, then serve immediately in bowls.
It is traditional to eat risotto with a fork.
Tips:
- Arborio rice is a short-grain rice named after the town of Arborio in the Po Valley, northern Italy, where it originated. The rounded grains have a high starch content, which makes them firm, creamy, and slightly chewy when cooked, and so ideal for risotto. Antonella uses Scotti brand.
- Zucchini is the Italian word for baby marrows. The French call them courgettes.
- Antonella normally uses extra virgin olive oil, but likes butter for a special occasion.
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese is added at the end to risottos that are made without seafood - remember it is salty so adjust the seasoning to allow for this.
- You can keep a few prawns whole for decoration if you like.
- You can eat the vegetables removed from the stock. Antonella likes to dress them with extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper.
- Ideally you stir the risotto all the time it is cooking, but if you need to, put a lid on and simmer for a little.
- Try to make more stock than you need, but if you run out, use a little hot water.
- Risotto is gluten-free.
Thanks to Afife Harris, and Gardens New World.
