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05/09/2002 Archived Entry: "Pressure Cooker Risotto"

Recently, at a remote broadcast of “Food Talk,” an audience member asked me why her risotto never came out right. I would have to stand next to her while she’s cooking to adequately answer that. There are several things that can go wrong, and many people do have difficulty making good risotto because risotto is all about technique. It is a humble Italian rice dish, made all over Italy nowadays, but originally from the Po Valley near Venice and not far from Bologna. Driving the Adriatic coast road from Ravena to Venice last year, I passed through the rice patties for the first time.

But back to making the dish. Besides some technique that is necessary, risotto takes about 25 minutes of attention, which I find is the outer limit of attention span for some people. Mistakes happen when you don’t watch.

Lorna Sass to the rescue! She has developed a pressure cooker method for making risotto that speeds up the process, doesn’t require as much attention, and nevertheless turns out an excellent plate of braised rice, which is what risotto is – technically speaking: The rice is first cooked in a small amount of fat (butter, oil, or, less frequently, pork fat) to cook the outer layer of starch on each grain. Then the rice is usually, but not in this pressure-cooker case, cooked in a liquid that is stirred into the rice a little at a time. The result should be a creamy mass with each grain separate, slightly firm at the center, but held together by the rice’s starch. With Lorna’s recipe, you can achieve all that, but in much less time.

Lorna has written several excellent pressure cooking books, and there are recipes for risotto in all of them. The following recipe, her most basic, is from Great Vegetarian Cooking Under Pressure.

Saffron Risotto with Vegetables du Jour
Serves 6 as a first course, 4 as a main

Arthur’s Two Cents: I like to cook the rice in the oil for a couple of minutes longer than Lorna, so I have added that instruction. I have also given the option of using one of two other risotto rices from Italy. They are called vialone nano and carnaroli. The first is a slightly longer grain than arborio, and usually considered slightly superior, although the price is generally the same. The second, the carnaroli, is a hybrid rice developed for its ability to stand awhile without becoming mushy – without continuing to absorb moiture. Therefore, you can half-cook carnaroli and finish the risotto at the last minute – which is what restaurant chefs often do. Either can be used in the pressure cooker, but warning: carnaroli can be double the price of the others and you can’t half-cook rice in a pressure cooker and finish later.

Without Lorna’s addition of cooked vegetables – meaning just the saffron risotto – you have classic Risotto Milanese, the traditional accompaniment to Osso Buco. And by the way, you can make the risotto without the saffron, in which case it would be the absolutely most basic risotto, usually called Risotto Bianco, white risotto.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped leeks (white and green parts), shallots or onions
1 1/2 cups arborio rice (or use vialone nano or carnaroli)
3 1/2 to 4 cups vegetable stock (or chicken broth if you don’t care to be vegetarian)
Generous 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 1/2 to 2 cups chopped cooked vegetables (i.e. peas, asparagus, and broccoli)
2 to 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese or 1 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon
juice or 1 to 3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat the oil in the cooker. Cook the leeks, shallots or onions over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until golden, about 2 minutes.

Add the rice, stirring to coat with the oil. Let the rice cook in the oil for about 2 minute, stirring constantly.

Add 3 1/2 cups of the stock (stand back to avoid sputtering oil), the saffron and the salt.

Lock the lid in place. Over high heat, bring to high pressure. Lower the heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce the pressure with a quick release method, which means run the pot under cold tap water until the pressure has reduced to zero. Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to allow any excess steam to escape.

Stir in the vegetables, parsley, and Parmesan (if using). If the risotto isn’t creamy (which it won’t be – says Arthur), stir in a bit more stock. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the rice achieves the desired consistency (it should be tender but chewy) and the vegetables are thoroughly heated. Stir in the lemon juice or vinegar (if using instead of cheese) and pepper.

Serve immediately in shallow soup bowls.

Variations: It’s fun to combine vegetables. I’ve done 3/4 cup each cooked limas and corn and 1 cup each peas and carrots. Another nice addition is 1/2 cup chopped roasted red pepper.