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ITALIAN RECIPES

Want something warm? Don’t forget Risotto

Risotto with Gamberetti, Small Shrimp

Ingredients:
3/4 pound fresh or frozen shrimp
1 1/2 cups rice
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, minced
2 bay leaves
1 rib of celery
1 garlic clove
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1 quart water
1/2 cup dry white wine, warmed, or a sprinkling of vodka
salt and freshly ground white pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
1/2 cup freshly shelled boiled peas (optional)

Preparation:
Set the water to boil with the celery, garlic, bay leaf, and a pinch of salt. Meanwhile, wash the shrimp well in cold running water. Add the shrimp to the stock and bring to a boil; let cook for two minutes (if you have to use canned shrimp, add just their liquid to the broth).

Strain out the shrimp, reserving the liquid. As soon as the shrimp have cooled to the point you can touch them, peel them and return the shells to the pot. Let them boil for about fifteen minutes, then strain the broth and return it to the fire, adding the vegetable bullion. Sauté the onion in half the butter.

As soon as the onion's a golden translucent color, remove it to a plate with a slotted spoon. Next, stir in the rice and sauté, stirring, until the grains have turned translucent, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the warmed wine and cook until it has evaporated, then begin adding the hot broth, a ladle at a time.

Continue adding broth till the rice is half cooked, then stir in the shrimp and finish cooking it, adding broth as necessary, and stirring carefully not to break the shrimp. The risotto is done when the rice is al dente. Check seasoning, cover the risotto for two minutes, and serve.

Note: If you want a richer risotto, stir in a half a cup of cream just before you let it sit. Or, if peas are in season and you like them, boil a half cup separately, and stir them in just before the risotto's done. The Wine? Bubbly would be nice here, for example a Franciacorta Saten.

Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms

Ingredients:
A one-ounce packet dried porcini
1/2 of a small onion, finely sliced
1/4 cup plus
2 tablespoons butter, or 3 tablespoons olive oil + 1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups short-grained rice, for example Arborio or Vialone Nano
1/3 cup dry white wine, warmed in a pan on the stove
1 cup frehsly grated Parmigiano
1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
The water the mushrooms were soaked in, strained, and a quart of simmering water, beef broth, or watery bouillon
A bunch of parsley, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
Steep the porcini in a cup of boiling water for fifteen minutes. Meanwhile, slice the onion finely and sauté it in either three tablespoons of oil or 1/4 cup of butter. When it's lightly browned remove it to a plate with a slotted spoon and stir the rice into the drippings in the pot.

Sauté the rice for several minutes, until it becomes translucent, stirring constantly. Return the onions to the pot, stir in the wine, and continue stirring until it has evaporated completely. Then stir in a first ladle of liquid (if you're using plain water, add about 3/4 teaspoon of kosher salt at this time), and while it's absorbing, chop the mushrooms and strain the liquid they soaked in, which can contain sand.

Add the mushrooms and their liquid to the rice, then continue adding water or broth a ladle at a time, stirring occasionally. About five minutes before the rice is done, check seasoning. As soon as the rice is al dente, turn off the heat, stir in the remaining butter, half the cheese, the cream if you're using it, a little bit of ground pepper, the parsley, and cover the risotto for two minutes. Serve with the remaining grated cheese.

Buon appetito!

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