I’ve been in a lazy cooking mood lately…
I want quick, easy, warm and comforting.
In my kitchen that means risotto.
Risotto alla Osso Buco
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup Arborio rice (or other rice specifically for risotto – Carnaroli or Vialone Nano)
- 1/3 cup (3oz, 90ml) dry white wine
- 2 1/4 cups (18oz, 540ml) chicken stock
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 tbs butter
- 1/2 cup (2oz, 60gr) Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- Condimenti
- 2 slices (2oz (60gr) Prosciutto, cut into strips
- 5oz (150gr) veal, cut into strips
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 medium carrot, chopped
- 1 rib celery, chopped
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1/3 cup (3oz, 90ml) dry white wine
- 2 tsp olive oil
Instructions:
- Heat chicken stock and keep hot over low heat.
- In medium saucepan heat butter; add 1/2 of the onion and sauté until transparent then add rice and sauté, stirring, for 2 – 3 minutes until rice has white center.
- Add 1/3 cup white wine and stir.
- Start condimenti.
- When wine is almost absorbed add a 1/3 cup of stock, stir. (No need to stir constantly but do stir from time to time.)
- When stock is almost absorbed add another 1/3 cup and continue adding 1/3 cup at a time and stirring. Before you add the last 1/3 cup taste a few kernels of rice. They should be just ‘al dente’ – slightly resistant to the tooth but fully cooked. If more stock is needed add it 1 tbs at a time and waiting until almost completely absorbed. At this point risotto will be thick but not stiff – there will still be visible liquid and it will not hold it’s shape on a plate.
- Add the Parmesan, condimenti, stir well, pour into a bowl or risotto platter and serve immediately. It will continue to absorb liquid and the leftovers (if any) will be quite stiff.
- Condimenti
- Heat oil in medium skillet.
- Add onion, carrot, celery and sauté until tender, 5 minutes.
- Add Prosciutto, veal and sauté 5 minutes longer.
- Add tomatoes, thyme and sauté 5 minutes longer.
- Add 1/3 cup white wine and simmer until reduced and thickened.
- Cover and keep warm until needed.
We went to the movies last night…. Or, more properly, we went to the cinema to see a film.
There is an old theatre in a town about 35 minutes from us that shows movies in English on a regular basis. It’s run by some local volunteers. We’d heard about it but, of course, never took the time to check it out.
But how can one resist James Bond (Skyfall)?
And our neighbors invited us.
The theatre was packed with English-speakers.
Seriously.
Just before the movie started one of the locals came in and asked people to raise their hand if they had an empty seat next to them so they could fit more people in. The rest were turned away. They’ll be another showing on Sunday.
It was fun….
It would have been more fun with popcorn, though.
No concession stand.
An update on our, ahem, disgusting problem.
It appears to have been a one-time event.
I’ve checked carefully (no kidding!) and haven’t seen any more evidence of anything.
As to why we use poison…. Because the damage they cause can be extensive.
We use traps where we can, but, strangely, most of the mice are very small. They’re not heavy enough to set off the traps. We know that because we watched one come out from behind the wood stove and eat all the peanut butter off the trap without setting it off.
Our mice are not very afraid.
We found a trap that was suitable for small mice, but it was a very fancy, very expensive, very large trap…. Not the kind one can tuck into tight places, like our ceiling.
So, for the mice in the ceiling we use the poison. Most of the time the mice have taken the poison away to eat.
Most of the time….
The movie night sounds like fun. I seem to just never get to the movies and only catch up on them when I fly long haul distances.
manningroad, and I only read on those flights… my catch-up for the accumulation of the science magazines I never get too….