The Ultimate Rice Cooker (31 page)
Arborio medium-grain
japonica
rice was planted in the Po River valley around Lombardy (its capital is Milan) and Pied mont during the thirteenth century by the Sforza brothers, Visconti dukes of Milan, with seeds from the Benedictine rice crops flourishing at Montecassino. For years it was exported in little canvas sacks, but small plastic bags are now the norm. The top quality rice will be labeled
Arborio fino
or
super
fino
, a sign that the kernel is the biggest, a standard established in 1931. Lesser grades are labeled
fino
,
semifino
, and
commune
, and are fine to use in soups. A 500-gram bag, a little over a pound, yields about two cups of raw rice.
If you love risotto, you will be pleasantly surprised that there is an entire little family of regionally grown Italian medium-grain rices that include Carnaroli and Vialone nano along with the Arborio. Carnaroli is grown alongside Arborio in Piedmont and Lombardy, those regions having the largest canal-irrigated rice paddies in all of present-day Italy. The newest hybrid of Italian Carnaroli is just starting to be exported from Argentina (where the Italians planted it early in the twentieth century to cater to the tastes of the Italian immigrants to South America) and is considered equal, even superior, to Arborio. In Venice and Verona, Vialone nano (the rice of choice grown outside Venice and Mantova since the 1600s) is cooked until
all’onde
, or “wavy,” which is a bit looser texture than the other risotto recipes.
“There is not a huge difference between the texture and mouthfeel of the three Italian medium-grain rices,” says Mediter ranean food expert and writer Joyce Goldstein. “They behave and taste the same. You can use the rices interchangeably in risotto recipes. The big difference is the region in which they are grown and the length of the grain. There is even a fourth risotto rice, a miniature, called Baldo.” Vialone nano is an impressive offering by chefs, but Arborio is easily available. Try all three and make your decision about which one you like the best.
American rice growers are onto developing their own strains of Arborio, the seed stock of which is available from the Rice Research Station seed bank at Biggs, California. Lundberg rice of California has a domestic California Arborio on the market that they have been developing for 10 years. RiceSelect has Texas Arborio (called risotto rice), and there is another domestic called CalRiso. All can be substituted cup for cup for their imported Italian cousins, making lovely, less expensive risottos, although gourmets insist the Italian rices make the most authentic risottos. Similar grains such as quinoa, quick-cooking barley, millet, and bulgur, which cook in a similar manner as rice, can all be substituted for the rice in a risotto.
Risotto is known as a time-consuming rice dish to make because you need to stir it constantly and add the boiling stock in small portions for about half an hour. It is deliberately overcooked and braised uncovered. In the fancy fuzzy logic cooker, you can make really fabulous risotto on the Porridge cycle, which allows it to be braised at a gentle, steady low boil/high simmer. If all you have is the basic kind of rice cooker, you can make a risotto that is almost as good, but you’ll have to watch the time closely, and the consistency will not be quite as sublime. It is a great dish for everyday eating and, once you find out how easy it is to make, you will perhaps make it as often as regular pilaf or plain steamed rice.
To make risotto, use a light stock, like chicken, duck, or veal (
The Basics: Homemade Stocks
), and about three to four times the volume of the rice. You don’t have to fuss about the exact amount. You may use less liquid than for stovetop risottos because there is less evaporation with the cover closed. You just add all the stock at once (with no preheating of the stock) and only stir a few times. Butter is the traditional cooking fat for sautéing the onion, but these days a bit of olive oil is added, and maybe some pancetta. The bit of butter at the end of cooking is also traditional, but optional.
We found that risotto made with 1 cup of rice cooks in about 20 to 25 minutes in an on/off rice cooker. Note that you will have to set a timer if you are using an on/off cooker. The Porridge cycle on the fuzzy logic machines will time automatically. To serve six to eight people as a first course or three to four as a luncheon main dish, do not use more than 2 cups rice in the medium (6-cup) or large (10-cup) rice cookers, as it is just hard to work with. If you need more risotto, it is best to use two rice cookers at the same time.
Risotto is best served immediately (it thickens dramatically as it stands at room temperature), but in a pinch, it will hold on the Keep Warm cycle for up to an hour. When serving, a warm shallow soup bowl is nice, and a soup spoon, but correct etiquette calls for a fork. Of course, the Italians are sticklers for the right cheese: Parmigiano-Reggiano. Buy imported, even just a little bit, if you can. You can use Pecorino Romano sheep’s milk cheese, even Asiago, in place of the Parmesan (it is quite a bit stronger), or a combination of two, if you like.
CLICK TO SEE THE BASICS: RISOTTO IN THE RICE COOKER
Risotto Milanese, or risotto with saffron, is the national dish of the Lombardy region of Italy. It has been made there since the late eighteenth century as a special first course washed down with red wine. Use saffron threads here, as powdered saffron is really a lot more potent; you want a faint saffron flavor, not overpowering. It is traditionally served as a starchy side dish to osso bucco (braised veal shanks) and
carbonata
(Milanese beef stew).
MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) or large (10-cup) rice cooker; fuzzy logic or on/off
CYCLE: Quick Cook and/or regular or Porridge
YIELD: Serves 4 to 5
3 cups chicken stock, or one 14.5-ounce can chicken broth plus water to equal 3 cups
Pinch of saffron threads
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
¾ cup finely chopped yellow onion
¼ cup dry white wine
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons medium-grain risotto rice (
superfino
Arborio, Carnaroli, or Vialone nano)
TO FINISH
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Salt
1. In a small saucepan or using the micro wave, heat 1 cup of the stock and crush the saffron into it; let stand for 15 minutes.
2. Set the rice cooker for the Quick Cook or regular cycle. Place the olive oil and butter in the rice cooker bowl. When the butter melts, add the onion. Cook, stirring a few times until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the wine and cook for 1 minute. Add the rice and stir occasionally until the grains are transparent except for a white spot on each, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the saffron stock and remaining chicken stock. Close the cover and reset for the Porridge cycle, or for the regular cycle and set a timer for 20 minutes.
3. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle or the timer sounds, stir the rice with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon. The risotto should be only a bit liquid and the rice should be
al dente
, tender with just a touch of tooth resistance. If needed, cook for a few minutes longer. This risotto will hold on Keep Warm for up to 1 hour.
4. When ready to serve, add the butter. Close the cover for a minute to let the butter melt. Stir in the cheese and salt to taste. Serve immediately.
This risotto is heavier on the vegetables (the winter squash and the onion) than is traditional, but it is a favorite autumn and winter variation. Use less squash if you like, but we feel the extra contributes a lovely flavor and color along with a nutritional boost. We also use half stock and half water in order not to overwhelm the delicate squash flavor. You can add some diced zucchini as well; it is a good flavor combination. We like the unconventional addition of lime juice; it brightens the flavor of the squash.
MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) or large (10-cup) rice cooker; fuzzy logic or on/off
CYCLE: Quick Cook and/or regular or
Porridge
YIELD: Serves 4 to 5
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅔ cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons medium-grain risotto rice (
superfino
Arborio, Carnaroli, or Vialone nano)
1¾ to 2 cups peeled and seeded butternut squash cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1½ cups water
1½ cups chicken, veal, or vegetable stock
TO FINISH
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
¼ cup minced fresh Italian parsley leaves
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Salt
1. Set the rice cooker for the Quick Cook or regular cycle. Place the olive oil and butter in the rice cooker bowl. When the butter melts, add the onion. Cook, stirring a few times, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon to coat the grains with the hot butter. Cook, stirring a few times, until the grains of rice are transparent except for a white spot on each, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the squash, water, and stock; stir to combine. Close the cover and reset for the Porridge cycle, or for the regular cycle and set a timer for 20 minutes.
2. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle or the timer sounds, stir the risotto. It should be only a bit liquid, and the rice should be
al dente
, tender with just a touch of tooth resistance. If needed, cook for a few minutes longer. This risotto will hold on Keep Warm for up to 1 hour.
3. When ready to serve, add the butter. Close the cover for a minute to let the butter melt. Stir in the lime juice, parsley, cheese, and salt to taste. Serve immediately.
The Italians have a great love for dried mushrooms and, to our advantage, most supermarkets are catching on and offering this once gourmet treasure of flavor. If you like cream of mushroom soup, you will love this risotto, known as
risotto con funghi secchi
. Choose porcini, the Italian favorite, or another type of dried mushroom like morels, chanterelles, or shiitakes. Or try a blend; we found one called Melissa’s Exotic Mushroom Medley that contains porcini, chanterelle, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms.
MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) or large (10-cup) rice cooker; fuzzy logic or on/off
CYCLE: Quick Cook and/or regular or
Porridge
YIELD: Serves 4 to 5
½ ounce dried mushrooms
1¾ cups hottest possible tap water
About 1½ cups beef, chicken, or vegetable stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ cup minced onion
¼ cup dry white wine
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons medium-grain risotto rice (
superfino
Arborio, Carnaroli, or Vialone nano)
TO FINISH
2 teaspoons unsalted butter, or more, if desired
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt
1. Place the mushrooms in a small bowl and add the hot water. Let stand for an hour or longer. (Or combine the mushrooms and water in a microwave-safe container, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.) When the mushrooms are soft, remove them from the liquid, squeezing gently to extract as much liquid as possible. Slice the mushrooms into pieces about ¼ x 1 inch, discarding any tough stems. The exact size is not important, but if you cut them too small, their flavor will not be as intense. Carefully pour the mushroom soaking liquid into a measuring cup, leaving any grit behind. (If the mushrooms were especially gritty, you may want to pour the liquid through a coffee filter–lined strainer, but in general this is not necessary.) Add the stock to the mushroom soaking liquid to equal 3 cups.