BETTER THAN SEX

Some things are best left unspoken, but this had to come out eventually!

We were enjoying a fantastic winter weekend in Ellicottville, doing some of our favorite outdoor activities with our husbands and dogs; snow shoeing, down-hill skiing and cross-country skiing.      

By the end of the day, we were pleasantly exhausted, but ready to do our other favorite activities; cooking and eating!  It happened over dinner that night, a fabulous meal including Grilled Rack of Lamb and Mushroom Risotto. Our friends, Perry and Karen,  were taking an interest in how to prepare risotto, so we were giving them a bit of a lesson, and  one of them commented that it seemed like a lot of work. We assured them that it was simple, if they just  followed our tips,  and Andrea continued by assuring them that good risotto was "better than sex!" Sure enough, by the middle of the meal, Karen piped in that she agreed!   

So, this week we have decided to give you these recipes, as well as our guidelines for successful risotto. You can then judge for yourself.

HOW TO MAKE A PERFECT RISOTTO:

      Follow these rules for making a rich, creamy risotto, every time.  With  practice, you can switch up the vegetables to create other risottos, we love adding grilled asparagus, beets or shrimp; the sky is the limit!

• Have all of your ingredients organized by the stove before you begin cooking. 
• Pour yourself a glass of wine so that you will be content to stand by the stove for 20 minutes while stirring.
• Saute the onions and garlic in butter or olive oil first, then add the rice, so that the rice is coated to prevent the grains from sticking together.
•  Meanwhile, heat the stock gently in a saucepan on the back burner, so that it is already hot when adding it to the rice, thus maintaining a constant rate of moisture absorption.
• Constantly stir the mixture as you add the stock gradually, allowing the moisture to absorb each time before adding more. The stirring encourages the release of starch into the mixture, ensuring the desirable creamy texture.
• The risotto is finished cooking when the rice grains are tender, yet still slightly al dente. At this point, add a bit more stock and then the grated Parmesan.  This gives it a slightly soupy consistency. YUM!

MUSHROOM RISOTTO
5 cups vegetable stock

2 tbsp butter                                                                             

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup mixed wild mushrooms, chopped

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

½ cup white wine

2 cups Arborio rice

½ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

1 tbsp butter

salt and pepper, to taste

 

Heat the vegetable stock in a saucepan over medium heat on the back-burner.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, add onion, mushrooms, rosemary and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Mix in rice and continue stirring for one minute.  Pour in wine and simmer for 3 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Add the hot stock, a cup at a time, stirring between each addition, allowing the liquid to be absorbed before continuing with the addition of the next cup of stock. Continue adding stock until all stock is used and rice is al dente and creamy, about 20 minutes.  Stir in Parmesan Cheese and remaining butter.

GRILLED RACK OF LAMB

  4             racks of lamb -- frenched

  8             sprigs  rosemary

  8             sprigs  thyme

                  parsley

  10            bay leaves

  8             cloves  garlic

                  zest of two lemons

  2          teaspoons  black pepper -- freshly ground

  1                cup  extra virgin olive oil

Marinate the lamb the night before serving:  Remove leaves of rosemary and thyme from the stalk and chop with parsley, garlic, bay leaves, lemon zest and pepper. Combine in a bowl with extra virgin olive oil and mix. Arrange racks of lamb on a large baking sheet,  pour on marinade and gently rub into the lamb.  Cover with clear plastic wrap and let marinate in the refrigerator overnight.  

Half an hour before serving:   Prepare grids by brushing with oil to prevent sticking. Preheat barbeque on HIGH for 5-10 minutes.  Place racks of lamb on grids and grill for 30 minutes.  Let stand for 5 minutes, tented with foil, before cutting and serving.