Risotto

Today has been one of those long, draining Sunday's and I found myself in need of some comfort food and solace (yes, cooking is relaxing and even energizing for me).

So, what is one of the best comfort foods ever? In a word: risotto. Creamy, starchy, cheesy goodness served with any flavour combo you can dream up. The other reason I love risotto, aside from it's deliciousness, is it takes a lot of love (and time) to properly make a risotto.

First up, sauté some mushrooms (button, cremini and portobello) in garlic infused evoo with some fresh thyme. While the mushrooms are cooking up, clean and chop a cup of leeks. After deglazing the mushrooms with some white wine, put them aside to save for last and begin the risotto, or my version of therapy.

Tonight I'm making a saffron risotto (saffron is the most expensive spice, per weight in the world), so I crush the saffron and steep it in hot water and set aside. Arborio rice is the key to a creamy risotto, I sauté it in a tablesoon of butter and a splash of garlic infused evoo, and the chopped leeks. The heat from sautéing allows the flavour of the arborio to come out and become nutty and golden brown. When this happens it's time for the broth. First, the saffron broth, then vegetable stock (always best if you make your own). Just a ladle of broth at a time, stirring rigorously until the liquid is absorbed and then another ladle of broth, all of this takes about 50 minutes from start to finish. The final product I'm going for is a slightly soupy appearance, but can be eaten with a fork, with the rice slightly al dente to bite. When this happens toss in the mushrooms, and a handful of parmiggiano reggianio. To finish, garnish with parmiggiano reggiano chopped fresh basil.

And now...time to eat! Ciao!