Making Risotto in 1976

I don’t have adequate lighting over my oven, so since I was making a risotto last week, I thought I would get a clamp light as a temporary measure until I get something cute later.  When I got it home and set it up, I suddenly felt like I was cooking in a David Lynch movie or something.  But then when I looked at the pictures, the light - and my old skool almond-colored oven - instead just made it look like I was cooking in the ’70’s. 

I was going to photoshop in a macramé plant holder and a driftwood wall sconce but…uh…I don’t have photoshop.

Anyway, so my fancy times cooking project last week was making Tuna Steak au Poivre (from Joy of Cooking) with Arugula and Gorgonzola Risotto from this book, the first recipe I've tried from this new acquisition:

Risotto: 30 Simply Delicious Vegetarian Recipes from an Italian Kitchen

I recently heard Mark Ruhlman, author of The Elements of Cooking, on The Splendid Table.  He was so insistent about making your own stock – saying it was the difference between home cooking and restaurant cooking – and also somewhat dismissive of the idea of making vegetable stock well in advance (best freshly made, he said).  Of course now that idea is implanted in my head as being the Standard to Meet, so the concept, combined with the general fact that risotto really depends on good stock, obligated me to make my own stock for the dish, even though I still have some boxed on hand.

It would be way too much for me to try to all do at the same time, though, so a couple days before risotto night, I made a vegetable stock recipe from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything.  I had reviewed a variety of different vegetable stock recipes, including Ruhlman's, but picked Bittman's because it called for the least amount of leeks (zero) which I didn’t want to shell out for when I have onions on hand.  (Because, of course, stock is yet another case of making it yourself is actually more expensive than buying it pre-made.)

I also thought it might  be a good choice because Bittman’s recipe calls for roasting the vegetables first.  While it is an extra step, I have to say I think it's worth it.  This stock is good.  Really good.  Vegetable stock from a box rarely smells good on its own, no matter how high the quality or how fine it tastes in the finished product.  But this stock was yummy smelling all on its own.  Two big thumbs up, and the process, while a lot more time-consuming than opening a package, wasn’t too bad.

So…the meal.  I was determined to not have this cooking project devolve into total chaos, so I once again mise en place’d all over the place, and once again, that made all the difference.

I started the risotto, which, while requiring close attention, isn’t too complex with proper prep. 

Midway through, I started heating the pan for the tuna.  As I got close to the final few ladles of stock, I put the pepper-coated tuna in the heated pan to start that dish.

The recipe for the Tuna Steak au Poivre involves coating the steak in cracked peppercorns, cooking for a couple minutes on each side in high-heat pan, then deglazing the pan with red wine, and adding some herbs, shallots and butter to make a sauce.

I managed the navigation of multiple dishes pretty well, even getting a salad done in time as well.  I don’t mean to sound like a broken record, but it’s because it’s still such a revelation to me: taking the time to prep everything before hand is the best way to avoid chaotic cooking.

Results…

Not too keen on the Poivre part of the Tuna Steak au Poivre.  I have been loving some peppery dishes chefs have made at the school lately, but this was either too much pepper or the pepper was too raw tasting?  Not sure, just not great.  The red wine sauce, though, was really delicious and extraordinarily simple to prepare. I think the tuna would be great with just that.

The risotto was pretty good, although the two dishes actually didn’t go together very well.  I also found the arugula a little aggressive of a flavor, but I think the recipe might be a surefire hit with a milder green.  (It tasted great as is the next day in a risotto pancake, though.)

I had a Grüner Veltliner with the dinner.  I had heard about it also on The Splendid Table. I was curious about it due to the flavor, described as “dry, mouthwatering, minerally, with distinct spice, herbs and an array of citrus fruits all cloaked in acidity.”  I don’t know if it was a good match with the dinner but it was definitely tasty!