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Saffron Zucchini Risotto Recipe
Searching for the ultimate date night meal? This elegant saffron zucchini risotto by Tanika Douglas could be the answer. Risotto is a well loved Italian dish that turns the everyday ingredient of rice into something spectacular. This comforting version pairs subtle zucchini and vibrant saffron for a delicious fusion of flavors. Each strand of saffron lends a distinctive earthy, sweet aroma and bright golden hue to the dish, transforming it into a meal as satisfying as it is eye-catching. Douglas states, "The star of this risotto, alongside saffron, is the humble yet versatile zucchini. Thinly sliced and perfectly sauteed until golden brown, the zucchini adds a touch of caramelized earthiness that complements the saffron-infused rice beautifully."
The recipe begins with a simple yet crucial step of saffron infusion, which imparts its unique essence to the dish. As the zucchini sizzles in the pan and the aroma of onion and garlic fills the air, you will be well on your way to creating a warming, soul-satisfying dish that is sure to become a true favorite. While making your first risotto can be a daunting endeavor, Douglas' easy-to-follow recipe walks you through the process step by step, helping you master the art of preparing the perfect risotto. "This delicious dish is sure to become an instant crowd pleaser, allowing you to whip up a restaurant-worthy meal in the comfort of your own home," says Douglas.
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Gather The Ingredients For Saffron Zucchini Risottoingredients for the saffron zucchini risotto - Tanika Douglas/Tasting Table
To create this delectable saffron zucchini risotto, you will need vegetable stock, saffron threads, olive oil, zucchini, unsalted butter, onion, garlic cloves, arborio rice, white wine, finely chopped parsley, pecorino cheese, salt, pepper, and parsley leaves. In order to release the starch in the rice grains and create a velvety, luscious risotto, using arborio rice is the key. A sibling of arborio is carnaroli rice, another well known variety for risotto. However, carnaroli is generally tricker to source and can often be found in gourmet grocers, while arborio can be found in the vast majority of supermarkets.
"The saffron is the most important flavor in this risotto, so it needs to be fresh, high quality, and pungent," Douglas says. "The zucchini is subtle, which allows the unique notes of the vibrant saffron to shine." Adding salty umami to the risotto is pecorino, which Douglas explains can be replaced with Parmesan if needed. "In addition, even though the parsley offers a fresh, green flavor, basil is equally delicious as a substitution," she says.
Step 1: Heat The Vegetable Stockpot of stock on stove - Tanika Douglas/Tasting Table
Add the vegetable stock to a pot, bring to a boil, and then turn down to a low simmer and keep hot.
Step 2: Infuse The Saffronsaffron stock steeping in bowl - Tanika Douglas/Tasting Table
Pour 1 cup stock into a bowl and add the saffron. Set aside and allow to steep.
Step 3: Prep The Zucchinisliced zucchinis on board - Tanika Douglas/Tasting Table
Slice the zucchinis into ¼-inch rounds.
Step 4: Heat The Panpouring olive oil into pan - Tanika Douglas/Tasting Table
Place a pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Step 5: Cook The Zucchini Sliceszucchini slices cooking in pan - Tanika Douglas/Tasting Table
Add the zucchini slices to the pan, and cook for 2 minutes on each side until golden brown and tender.
Step 6: Drain The Zucchinifried zucchini slices on paper towel - Tanika Douglas/Tasting Table
Remove the zucchini from the pan and let drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside.
Step 7: Start The Risottochopped onion going into pan - Tanika Douglas/Tasting Table
Using the same pan, reduce the heat to medium and add the butter, remaining olive oil, onion, and garlic.
Step 8: Cook The Onion And Garliconion and garlic cooking in pan - Tanika Douglas/Tasting Table
Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft.
Step 9: Saute The Ricerice going into pan for risotto - Tanika Douglas/Tasting Table
Add the rice and saute for 2 minutes until the grains are translucent around the edges.
Step 10: Pour In The White Winewine going into pan of risotto - Tanika Douglas/Tasting Table
Pour in the white wine and stir for 1 minute, allowing the alcohol to evaporate.
Step 11: Add The Zucchini Slicesfried zucchini in risotto - Tanika Douglas/Tasting Table
Add half of the fried zucchini slices, keeping the rest aside for garnish.
Step 12: Add The Hot Stockrisotto cooking in pan - Tanika Douglas/Tasting Table
Pour in ½ cup hot stock and stir constantly. Allow the liquid to completely absorb, then add another ladle of stock.
Step 13: Continue Cooking The Risottocloseup of zucchini risotto in pan - Tanika Douglas/Tasting Table
Repeat the process of adding ½ cup stock, stirring, and letting the rice absorb the liquid until the grains are al dente. You may not use all of the stock.
Step 14: Mix In The Saffron Stocksaffron risotto going into pan - Tanika Douglas/Tasting Table
Stir in the saffron-infused stock, then turn off the heat.
Step 15: Finish The Risottohand sprinkling grated cheese in risotto - Tanika Douglas/Tasting Table
Stir in the chopped parsley and half of the grated pecorino. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Step 16: Serve The Saffron Zucchini Risottosaffron zucchini risotto on plate - Tanika Douglas/Tasting Table
Spoon the risotto onto serving plates and garnish with the leftover fried zucchini, grated pecorino cheese, and parsley leaves. Enjoy immediately.
What Are Mistakes To Avoid When Making Saffron Zucchini Risotto?two plates of saffron zucchini risotto - Tanika Douglas/Tasting Table
While many cooks find making the perfect risotto daunting, there are numerous ways to ensure that your risotto is silky, soft, and oh so morish. The most common mistake that people make is rushing the process. Risotto is a labor of love that requires plenty of patience. Douglas recommends, "Avoid the temptation to rush through the cooking process. Adding stock too quickly or cooking over high heat can result in unevenly cooked rice."
The second most important aspect to consider when cooking the risotto is the variety of rice. Arborio is commonly used when creating the perfect risotto, though carnaroli, while less common, also produces impeccable results. Short-grain rice, when stirred frequently, takes on a creamy, velvety texture, which is what makes risotto so enjoyable. Steer clear of longer grains, which won't end up nearly as rich.
In addition, adding hot stock to the rice is incredibly important, as cold stock can disrupt the cooking process and result in unevenly cooked grains. Stirring is another simple key to achieving a creamy consistency for risotto. Frequent stirring releases the starch in the rice, creating the desired texture. "Risotto should be cooked until the grains are al dente, or soft with a slight bite. Overcooking can lead to mushy, stodgy, undesirable risotto," Douglas says. "Following these steps will help you cook the ultimate velvety risotto that is impossible to resist."
What Is Saffron?close up of saffron zucchini risotto on plate - Tanika Douglas/Tasting Table
Saffron is often referred to as the king of spices and is a unique, sought-after ingredient derived from the delicate threads of the Crocus sativus flower. The dark red threads are hand-harvested, requiring a large number of flowers to produce a very small amount of saffron. This labor-intensive process contributes to saffron often being referred to as "worth its weight in gold." 'Saffron imparts an incredibly unique flavor into the dishes that is hard to replicate with any other spice. It boasts a delicate, earthy, and slightly floral taste with a hint of honey-like sweetness. With its warm and pungent notes, this unique combination of flavors makes it a versatile spice in both sweet and savory recipes," says Douglas.
In the culinary world, saffron is frequently used to add depth and complexity to a wide range of dishes, including paellas, risottos, bouillabaisse, biryanis, and various desserts like saffron ice cream or saffron-infused milk puddings. It's particularly prized for its ability to lend a brilliant golden-yellow color to foods, giving them an instant appeal. Saffron can be found in various forms, including whole threads, powdered saffron, and saffron extracts. However, it is important to be cautious when purchasing saffron, as there are many counterfeit products. Authentic saffron should have a strong aroma, vibrant color, and a slightly sweet and earthy fragrance. Saffron's unique taste and vivid color make it a desired ingredient in kitchens, adding a touch of elegance and richness to dishes.
Saffron Zucchini Risottosaffron zucchini risotto on plate - Tanika Douglas/Tasting Table
Prep Time: 10mCook Time: 30mYield: 4 servingsIngredients
6 cups vegetable stock
½ teaspoon saffron threads
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 zucchini
2 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 ½ cups arborio rice
½ cup white wine
¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving
¾ cup grated pecorino cheese, divided
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Directions
Add the vegetable stock to a pot, bring to a boil, and then turn down to a low simmer and keep hot.
Pour 1 cup stock into a bowl and add the saffron. Set aside and allow to steep.
Slice the zucchini into ¼-inch rounds.
Place a pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Add the zucchini slices to the pan, and cook for 2 minutes on each side until golden brown and tender.
Remove the zucchini from the pan and let drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside.
Using the same pan, reduce the heat to medium and add the butter, remaining olive oil, onion, and garlic.
Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft.
Add the rice and saute for 2 minutes until the grains are translucent around the edges.
Pour in the white wine and stir for 1 minute, allowing the alcohol to evaporate.
Add half of the fried zucchini slices, keeping the rest aside for garnish.
Pour in ½ cup hot stock and stir constantly. Allow the liquid to completely absorb, then add another ladle of stock.
Repeat the process of adding ½ cup stock, stirring, and letting the rice absorb the liquid until the grains are al dente. You may not use all of the stock.
Stir in the saffron-infused stock, then turn off the heat.
Stir in the chopped parsley and half of the grated pecorino. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Spoon the risotto onto serving plates and garnish with the leftover fried zucchini, grated pecorino cheese, and parsley leaves. Enjoy immediately.
Read the original article on Tasting Table.
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Tomato And Red Wine Risotto With Soft Goat's Cheese Recipe
'This risotto dish is slightly different every time I make it'
This tomato risotto might be my most requested dish among old friends. They love it, which is handy for me as it couldn't be easier to make. It's a great one for a mixed table of veggies and meat eaters. It's slightly different every time I make it; sometimes I'll add a little chilli or the juice of a lemon, use stock rather than water, or make a kind of salsa verde to drizzle on top or fry off a handful of breadcrumbs or pine nuts for added crunch. Make whatever tweaks you fancy – the goal is a great pan of tangy, warming comfort food.
TimingsPrep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Serves4
IngredientsOlive oil, for frying (plus a little extra for serving)
2 small brown onions, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
275g baby plum tomatoes
2 tsp fennel seeds
300g risotto rice
250ml red wine
500g passata
400ml hot water
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
A knob of butter
A small handful of parsley, finely chopped
150g soft goat's cheese
Parmesan, for serving
Set a large heavy bottomed pan with a lid over a low-medium heat with a good glug of oil. When hot, add the onions with a big pinch of salt. Turn the heat down a little. Pop the lid on and cook until the onions have softened - about 10 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Then add the tomatoes and fennel. Turn the heat up a little. Leave to cook for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. The tomatoes should burst and blister a little but not go completely soft and slumped.
Turn the heat up a bit more and add the risotto rice. Cook, stirring, until the grains are a bit toasted and translucent.
Pour in the wine and let it bubble up. Stir and cook until the wine is completely absorbed. Then add the passata. Turn the heat down low and cook, stirring until the mixture is no longer super sloppy.
Add half the water along with a big pinch of salt. Add the second half once all that has been absorbed.
Once the rice is tender, stir through the sherry vinegar. Taste and add more salt if it needs it. Turn the heat off, add a knob of butter. Pop the lid on and leave for a couple of minutes.
Spoon onto plates and finish with a little parsley, a drizzle of olive oil and a few dollops of soft cheese. Put Parmesan on the table for people to grate over too.
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Buttery Hazelnut Risotto Recipe
Risotto is a classic Italian dish; hearty and creamy, it is a perfect meal to keep you warm in the colder months of the year. Cooked gently and slowly over the stovetop, risotto is a seemingly simple dish that needs a lot of attention to perfect. The most important rule is to stick close to your pan and keep stirring the rice, because it is the continued agitation of the grains that causes them to release starches making the resulting risotto thick and creamy. A delicious and filling dish, risotto is also relatively inexpensive to make, making it an ideal meal for eating on a budget.
This buttery hazelnut risotto recipe, developed by Tasting Table recipe developer Jennine Rye, combines a classic Parmesan risotto with lots of butter and toasted hazelnuts, giving it a wonderful cheesy, buttery, and nutty flavor that is great on its own or easy to pair with a variety of sides. Naturally gluten-free, this recipe can also easily be adapted to a vegetarian diet by choosing a vegetable stock to cook the rice (and an alternative to Parmesan depending on your view of cheeses made using rennet.) Read on to find out how you can make this buttery hazelnut risotto yourself.
Read more: 44 Types Of Pasta And When You Should Be Using Them
Gather The Ingredients For This Buttery Hazelnut Risottoingredients for hazelnut risotto - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table
To begin this buttery hazelnut risotto recipe, first you will need to gather the ingredients. You will want stock, bay leaves, olive oil, butter, an onion, garlic power, risotto rice, white wine, salt and pepper, and grated Parmesan. You will also want hazelnuts, and, to serve, hazelnut oil and fresh parsley.
Step 1: Toast The Hazelnutshazelnuts in a baking tray - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Toast the hazelnuts in a medium-sized baking tray for 10 minutes to bring out their flavor.
Step 2: Chop The HazelnutsChopped hazelnuts in a bowl - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table
Allow the hazelnuts to cool down and then roughly chop them up.
Step 3: Prepare The Stockvegetable stock with bay leaves - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table
In a large saucepan, heat up the chicken or vegetable stock until barely simmering, then add the bay leaves.
Step 4: Cook The Onioncooking onion in a pan - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table
Heat up a large, deep frying pan to a medium heat. Add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the onion and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until softened.
Step 5: Toast The Ricetoasting risotto rice - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table
Add the garlic powder and cook for one more minute, before adding the risotto rice to the pan. Coat it well in the oils of the pan and toast for 1 minute.
Step 6: Add White Winepouring wine into risotto - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table
Add the white wine to the pan, and allow the rice to cook in the wine until it has absorbed most of the liquid.
Step 7: Add The Stockladling stock into risotto - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table
Slowly feed the rice with the hot stock, a ladleful at a time, and keep stirring as the risotto cooks, until the rice is plump and creamy, while retaining a little bite, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 8: Add The Butterstirring butter into risotto - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table
Take the risotto off the heat and add the butter, stirring it in quickly to emulsify it, making it light and velvety.
Step 9: Add The Parmesan And HazelnutsAdding chopped hazelnuts to risotto - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table
Stir in the grated Parmesan and then the majority of the toasted, chopped hazelnuts. Season well with salt and pepper.
Step 10: Serve The Risottobuttery hazelnut risotto - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table
Serve the risotto hot, topped with the remaining chopped hazelnuts, a drizzle of hazelnut oil, and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.
What Rice Is Best For Risotto?risotto rice cooking - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table
There are a number of different types of rice, and not all of them are suitable for making risotto. The likes of basmati and brown rice won't give good results as they are long-grain varieties with a lower starch content, and the starch is what gives the risotto its thick creamy texture.
To make a good risotto, a starchier, short-grain variety is best, and you do have a few options which will give slightly different textures, depending on your preference. There are a couple of traditional Italian choices, such as arborio rice, which takes its name from a town in the Po Valley in Northern Italy. It has a really high starch content resulting in a hearty sticky risotto. There are also two higher-end varieties of Italian rice: Carnaroli, and Vialone Nano. These are more highly prized, but can be harder to come by, as well as a more expensive choice, but if you can find them and fancy trying something slightly up-market, they will make for a beautifully delicate risotto.
Another slightly left-field option is Bomba rice, which is native to Valencia in Northeast Spain. Although it is typically used in paella, it will work really well in a risotto and give the resulting dish a slightly firmer texture compared to the more conventional Arborio-based classic.
How Should I Serve And Store This Risotto?Buttery hazelnut risotto - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table
This risotto dish is delicately flavored with a creamy and nutty taste, and it is delicious either served alone as a starter or main with a simple side salad, or as a side dish to a larger entree. Grilled chicken or lamb are both delicious, protein-based accompaniments, and for those who enjoy fish, lemon sole or plaice pair beautifully with this risotto. For vegetarian options, grilled halloumi or field mushrooms are great pairing options The caramelized sweetness of, say, a roasted winter squash, is a delicious accompaniment to the roasted hazelnuts as well.
Risotto is a great dish to make in advance, and it is a great recipe for batch cooking; it's hard to make a small amount of risotto! If you like, you can cook up a large amount of risotto, store it and freshly cook a different accompaniment to go with it for each meal, combining the convenience of batch cooking with the variety of something different each day. It is best stored in the fridge in an airtight container, and because this risotto doesn't contain meat, it will keep for up to 5 days. Freezing it is not such a good idea, however, as the process will change the texture of the rice, making it mushy when defrosted.
Buttery Hazelnut Risotto RecipeButtery hazelnut risotto - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table
Prep Time: 10mCook Time: 50mYield: 6 servingsIngredients
1 cup hazelnuts
7 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 onion, finely chopped
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 ½ cups risotto rice (such as Arborio)
1 cup dry Italian white wine
Salt and pepper, to taste
½ cup grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
2 tablespoons hazelnut oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Toast the hazelnuts in a medium-sized baking tray for 10 minutes to bring out their flavor.
Allow the hazelnuts to cool down and then roughly chop them up.
In a large saucepan, heat up the chicken or vegetable stock until barely simmering, then add the bay leaves.
Heat up a large, deep frying pan to a medium heat. Add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the onion and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until softened.
Add the garlic powder and cook for 1 more minute before adding the risotto rice to the pan. Coat it well in the oils of the pan and toast for 1 minute.
Add the white wine to the pan. Allow the rice to cook in the wine until it has absorbed most of the liquid.
Slowly feed the rice with the hot stock, a ladleful at a time, and keep stirring as the risotto cooks, until the rice is plump and creamy, while retaining a little bite, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Take the risotto off the heat and add the butter, stirring it in quickly to emulsify it, making it light and velvety.
Stir in the grated Parmesan and then the majority of the toasted, chopped hazelnuts. Season well with salt and pepper.
Serve the risotto hot, topped with the remaining chopped hazelnuts, a drizzle of hazelnut oil, and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.
Read the original article on Tasting Table.
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