Friday night: sweet summer corn risotto with tarragon. I've been making risotto for a long time. My mother gave me a risotto cookbook in college when I moved into my first off-campus apartment. I quickly learned the basic method, and in the many years since I've made a lot of varieties: risotto with tomatoes; risotto with wild mushrooms; risotto with lemon; even a crazy fuchsia beet risotto, which I liked but to which the husband said firmly afterward, "Too beety." He won that one.
Mostly I make risotto with whatever I have at hand. It's such a flexible dish, you can use almost anything. There are a few ingredients, though, that I think of as staples: shallots, good white wine, and softened butter or mascarpone to stir in at the end.
On friday I used my basic recipe and toward the end folded in two shucked ears of corn and some tarragon. At the very end, when the heat was off, I stirred in mascarpone and grated lemon zest. It turned out perfectly, complex and bright, especially alongside two little pink pieces of salmon the husband had picked up at Good Life.
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It was the sauce that tripped me up. That night, I was feeling a dangerous mix of confident (I'd made a fig-port sauce before with fabulous results), thrifty (I had another sack of cherries to use), and a little reckless (cocktail hour had come and gone). I pitted some cherries and threw them in a saucepan with some port, chicken broth, honey, rosemary, a cinnamon stick, salt and pepper. I put it on to simmer and came back in 30 minutes. It was gorgeous and deeply red, I noticed, but not as thick as I would have liked.
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In addition to feeling confident, thrifty, and reckless, I was also feeling stubborn. Although I could tell the sauce wasn't ready, I pureed it in a blender, adding butter for glossiness. Beautiful, vibrant color! Runny though. I put it back in the pan and I let it simmer for another 15 minutes and finally drizzled it over the roast. The husband, who does not care much for sauces, thought it was fine. I was pleased with the flavor but wholly disappointed in the thin, watery consistency.
The lesson here, is twofold: 1) dried fruit works better for these kinds of things and 2) learn from past mistakes. For heaven's sake, that's what I have a blog for, isn't it?
There were other good things to eat throughout the weekend--scones, a grilled eggplant salad, and pasta with shrimp and tomato-cream sauce. But, I have no pictures of those. Sometimes I just can't be bothered with the picture-taking. I make it, and then I eat it, period. That's just the way the Hungry Dog rolls.
The pics you do take are beautiful! I agree that not everything has to be photographed, at times it's so nice just to relax and eat it!
ReplyDeleteSometimes it's tough to remember the lessons we've learned. As a repeat preformer, I've often wondered if I've ever learned any lesson. But indeed that's what a blog is for, cooking, thinking and writing those thoughts. Maybe not all of them.....that could get dicey.
By the way, I love that cherry pic! Pam
I like the way you roll. You've once again made me hungry!
ReplyDeletePam: Thank you for the compliment! I'm only just learning how to take photos.
ReplyDeleteCee: My mission is to make people hungry.
I agree with you take on photo capturing, sometimes I am just too damn lazy or hungry to take a photo.
ReplyDelete"Dried fruit is different than fresh fruit, in that it's, you know, dry."
ReplyDelete--insert riotous laughter here.
"I make it, and then I eat it, period. That's just the way the Hungry Dog rolls."
--insert amen here.
egg to the apples: eating beats blogging.
ReplyDeleteGrace: thanks! Oh, you've been linked!
hey - just made the cherry 'hangover' cake last night...didn't have a hangover, but it was fantastic. once again, thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteI love making risotto too and it's a great blank canvas to get creative. The sweet corn risotto sounds great. For the port, you're really adventurous to make that. I wonder if adding a bit of sugar might help in the thickening process? It might make it too sweet but it might help thicken, although reductions are always about patience. ;-)
ReplyDeleteDS: I'm so glad the cake worked out!
ReplyDeleteSingle Guy Ben: Unfortunately, I think you're right in saying patience is the key ingredient to a good reduction.
Thank goodness for the pics you do post! Those cherries look mighty fine...and I love risotto:)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Shaz!
ReplyDelete