Sunday night, I decided to make a comforting supper featuring two of the recipes from the magazine, Risotto alla Milanese and Pound Cake.
Of course, part of the adventure is seeking out the ingredients - a treasure hunt that I always enjoy. Being that the risotto recipe called for 9 tsp. of unsalted butter as one of the main ingredients, I needed to find one that would give the right amount of creaminess and a strong flavor. Lo and behold, there it was in my local (*cough* overpriced *cough*) grocery store, Mollie Stone's: Delitia Parmigiano Reggiano "Il Burro". It uses the same cow's milk that is used to make the famous cheese, and has a sharp, nutty flavor.
The risotto was different than ones that I have made before, in that it uses saffron instead of wine to give the dish the traditional taste. But the method was the same - stirring, stirring, stirring. Risotto requires patience, but it is worth it. It turned out well - creamy and hearty and full of glutenous goodness. I served it with grilled asparagus wrapped in proscuitto for a touch of Italian-inspired spring.
The pound cake turned out very well - fool-proof, in fact. With just a little bit of technique, and the right sized pan (a 10-inch tube pan is suggested - my 9.25-inch Bundt pan was slightly too small, but still worked), anyone could make this. Keys to success: don't overmix, don't overcook. As a topping, I cut up fresh strawberries and bathed them in a lavender syrup/yogurt sauce which I learned to make from Eric Gower, the Breakaway chef - more on his recipes later.
These recipes are as simple and basic as they come - so variations (i.e. mushroom risotto, lemon glaze for the pound cake) are easy to imagine.
Risotto alla Milanese
(serves 4)
- 6 C. chicken stock
- 1/8 tsp. saffron threads
- 9 tbsp unsalted butter, preferably "Il Burro"
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 2 C. vialone or arborio rice
- 1 C. grated grana padano
- Bring stock to a bare simmer in a saucepan over med. heat. Put saffron and 1/2 C. stock into a small bowl; cover and let set aside to let soften. Cover stock, keep hot.
- Heat 5 tbsp butter in a med. pot over med. heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until softened, 2-3 min. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until opaque, about 4 min.
- Add 1/2 C. stock. Cook, stirring often, until stock is mostly absorbed, 2-3 min. Add another 1/2 C. stock and repeat process until all of the stock is used, about 25 min.
- Continue cooking rice until just al dente, 3 min.
- Strain saffon from stock over a bowl; set saffron aside. Pour saffron-infused stock into rice and cook, stirring constantly, about 2 min. Gently stir in saffron threads.
- Remove from heat. Stir in remaining butter and half the grated cheese. Serve with remaining cheese on the side.
Pound Cake
(serves 10-12)
- 12 oz. butter plus more for the pan, at room temperature (note: I used unsalted butter for the cake, and salted butter for the pan - this gave the cake a slight salty flavor on the outside, which was really nice)
- 2 tbsp. plus 3 C. flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. fine salt
- 1 C. milk, at room temp
- 1 tsp pure almond extract
- 1 tsp. pure lemon extract
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 3 C. sugar
- 6 large eggs, at room temp
- Heat oven to 325 degrees. Generously grease a 10" tube pan with butter. Add 2 tbsp flour, turn the pan to coat it evenly with flour, tap out any excess and set aside.
- Using a sieve set over a bowl, sift together the remaining flour, baking powder, and salt. Repeat 2 more times. In a measuring vessel with a pourable spout, combine the milk and the extracts.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle, cream butter at med-low speed until light and fluffy, about 2 min.
- Gradually add sugar, 1/4 C. at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Beat until satiny smooth, about 3 min.
- Add 1 egg at a time to the butter mixture, beating for 15 seconds before adding another, and scraping down the bowl after each addition.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and alternately add the flour and the milk mixtures in 3 batches, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down sides of the bowl, beat until the batter is smooth and silky but no more.
- Scrape batter into the prepared pan and firmly tap on counter to allow it to settle evenly. Bake until light golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out moist and clean, about 1 hour 15 min.
- Let cool in cake pan on rack about 30 min. Invert cake onto rack - let cool completely before serving.
