Negronis, Martinis and Risotto

Our two favorite cocktails are Negronis and Martinis.

A Negroni is an Italian cocktail. It is made with equal thirds of Gin, Campari and Sweet Vermouth. Shaken not stirred. Garnish with a twist of orange peel. It can be served either upright in a Martini glass or on the rocks in a tumbler glass.

A gin or vodka Martini is best when you make up a pitcher and put it in the freezer and have the glasses frosted and ready to serve. Olives or a twist of lemon, your choice.

Risotto can be made any time of the year, Winter, Spring Summer or Fall, just like pasta. I have made risotto with summer vegetables, winter squash, with fish, meat, game, red wine, truffles, vegetables, cheese, herbs and of course saffron, known as risotto Milanese.

It can be a first course or a main course, a side dish or made into a torte, or a dessert.  And just like with pasta, if you are making it with fish, omit the cheese, since the cheese will dominate the delicate flavor of the fish.

The risotto I had at Harry’s Bar in Venicehttp://www.harrysbarvenezia.com was to die for, just like their Martinis. They are famous for both.

My Martini ala Harry's Bar.

Bill's Negroni and my Martini.

 “A good risotto is an event” - Arrigo Cipriani

In 1998, I served a clam and radicchio risotto as a first course. The cocktail hour featured Negronis.... 

Below I am sharing  my dinner party journal entries from that evening along with recipes. 

Above, a page from my 1998 journal... sketches(and notes) of the plans for 
what needs to be set on the table ahead of time.

The menu had all of my favorite dishes.

Menu

Cocktails and Hors D'oeuvres:

Negroni

Fried Sage Leaves

Tartar of Gravlax

Pesto Toasts 


Assorted Olives  

First Course:

Clam and Raddicchio Risotto

Main Course:

Bouillaibaisse

Wine, Sancerre
 

-Cheese Course-

wine:

Clos de Vougeot

Dessert:

recipe for pears can be found at: 

http://entertainingaddict.blogspot.com/2011/10/into-woods.html

...on this occasion, I also made a caramelized lemon tart!

NOTE: recipes for the pesto toasts can be found at:

http://entertainingaddict.blogspot.com/2011_10_02_archive.html


And, recipes for the Fried Sage leaves can be found at:
http://entertainingaddict.blogspot.com/2011/10/into-woods.html




Risotto Recipes and Tips(plus last week's pasta recipe) below...

Some tips for the perfect risotto:

Use a heavy bottom aluminum or copper pot with a lining of stainless steel. 

Buy short-grain Italian rice, available in many Italian specialty food stores and by mail order. Some supermarkets carry Aborio rice. 

Have the broth ready and simmering in a separate pot.

Do not let the rice dry out, always add another 1/2 cup of broth as soon as you can see the bottom of the pan. Do not let the rice stick to the bottom of the pan, it should always have a nice flow to the texture.

Keep the rice cooking at a low simmer, while stirring constantly.

Risotto must be served and eaten as soon as it is cooked.

           Basic Risotto Parmigiano

adapted from "The Harry's Bar Cookbook by Arrigo Cipriani

 Serves 6 as first course

5 to 6 cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, minced

1 ½ cups risotto rice ( short-grain Italian rice, Carnaroli or Aborio ( can be bought in any Italian Specialty store or even Supermarket) Do Not Wash the Rice.

3 tablespoons sweet butter at room temperature

2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

salt

freshly ground pepper

Bring the stock to a simmer in a saucepan. Keep it at a bare simmer. Very important, that the stock is kept hot.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed 3-quart saucepan. Add the onion and over medium heat, stirring until the onion is golden but not browned. About 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the rice and stir with a wooden spoon, so that the individual pieces of rice are coated with the oil and onion. Turn the heat to medium-high and ladle in a ½ cup of stock, stirring constantly. As soon as the stock has been absorbed, add another ½ cup of stock and stir until it is absorbed. Continue adding the broth ½ cup at a time, while stirring, making sure the mixture stays at a low boil.

*Do not let the mixture stick to the bottom of the pot. Adjust the heat from time to time.  If the heat is too low, the broth takes longer to be absorbed and the grains of rice will lose their firmness and the sauce will not be creamy. You want the rice to be creamy and tender on the outside, with each grain still firm. The risotto will take 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and vigorously stir in the butter and the Parmesan cheese. This will make the risotto even creamier. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Continue stirring vigorously and add the remaining tablespoons of hot stock. If you run out of hot stock, you can add hot water. This will make the consistency softer and softer.  The risotto should flow like a velvety wave.  Serve immediately and pass a small bowl of grated Parmesan cheese.

Clam and Radicchio Risotto

Serves 4

Adapted from the “Risotto” cookbook by Judith Barrett and Norma Wasserman.

1 tablespoon sweet butter

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1 tablespoon minced onion

1½ cups shredded radicchio ( small head of radicchio)

½ teasppon of saffron threads, dissolved in ½ cup hot stock

½ cup light cream

8 ounces minced clams, with their juices*

salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 cups fish broth

½ cup dry white wine

3 tablespoons sweet butter

1tablespoon olive oil

½ cup finely mince onion

1 1/2 cups short grain Italian rice ie: Carnaroli or Arborio rice

     *   Already shucked and minced clams can be found at fishmarkets or supermarkets. To prepare your own clams, you will need 1 to 2 pounds hard-shelled clams in their shells. Cook clams till they open. Wait till cool enough to handle. Remove clams from shell and chop.

Heat the 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over moderate heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, until the onion has softened and golden in color.

Stir in the radicchio and saffron stock and cook for 3 to 5 minutes longer.

Add the cream and over moderate-high heat, continue cooking until the cream is reduced by half. Stir in the clams. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.

Bring the broth to a steady simmer in a saucepan on top of the stove.

In a heavy bottom 4-quart pot, heat the butter and oil over moderate heat. Add the onion and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, until soft and lightly golden in color. Do not brown the onion.

Add the rice and stir well for about 1 minute, until all the grains are well coated. Start adding the hot broth ½ cup at a time, stirring frequently. Add more broth as the rice absorbs the liquids.

After about 20 minutes, when the rice is tender but al dente, take the pan off the heat and stir in the last of the broth, 1 tablespoon butter and the reserved clams and radicchio cream mixture. Stir vigorously to combine with the rice. Serve immediately.

AND, one more recipe: 
Penne with Sausage, as promised 
and mentioned in last week's post...

Penne With Sausage, Fennel and Red Wine

Adapted from “Patricia Wells At Home In Provence”

Incorporating all the ingredients into a creamy texture.

This is a wonderful, hearty pasta for cold winter weather.

1 pound sausage meat, out of casings

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups dry red wine

2 eggs, at room temperature

¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 pound penne or fusilli

1 cup of reserved pasta water

In a large skillet, brown the sausage meat for 3 to 4 minutes breaking up the large pieces into fine bits of meat.

Add the fennel seeds and tomato paste and blend together.

Cook over moderate heat for 2 minutes until well blended.

Slowly add the wine. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until most of the wine has evaborated (cooked off) about 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Add salt or pepper to your taste.

In a small bowl, whisk the room temperature eggs together. Whisk in the cheese and a generous grinding of pepper. Set aside.

In a large pot, bring 6 quarts of water to a boil. Add 3 tablespoons of salt and the pasta . Stir the pasta to prevent sticking. Cook al dente, about 9 to 11 minutes. Ladle out about 1 cup of the pasta water and put aside.  Drain the pasta.

Add the pasta to the skillet with the sausage meat and toss thoroughly and evenly, coating the pasta with the sauce.

Remove the pan from the heat and quickly stir in the egg mixture. Toss until each piece of pasta is evenly coated with sauce. At this point you can add some of the pasta water if the coated pasta looks too dry. The water also adds to the blending of the flavours. You want a smooth creamy clinging sauce.

Serve immediately in shallow pasta bowls.

Next week I'll share templates for planning your dinner party.

Bon Appetito,

xxoo Sheila