“It was an old-fashioned Italian dish, chicken and veal risotto, the kind of thing you might cook yourself on a Sunday if you had someone to eat it with.”
‘Bad Debts’ by Peter Temple
I doubt this was the recipe that Mr Temple had in mind when writing this scene, but it is based on a very tasty risotto from Marcella Hasan which includes Barolo wine in its list of ingredients (the wine Jack Irish drinks with his risotto in the book).
– 5 cups good quality veal stock
– 3 tbsp butter
– 3 tbsp pancetta chopped very fine
– 2 cloves garlic, chopped very fine
– 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped rosemary
– 2 teaspoons chopped sage leaves
– 200g minced meat (combined veal & chicken or good quality beef)
– 1 1/3 cups red wine (see note below)
– 2 cups Arborio rice
– 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan
Bring the stock to a slow, steady simmer.
Put 1 tablespoon of the butter, the pancetta and the garlic in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over a medium high heat, stirring from time to time until the garlic colours lightly, then add the herbs.
Stir for a few seconds then add the minced meat/s, breaking it up and stirring till its is browned and coated well in the flavourings. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Once the meat is well browned, add 1 cup of the red wine and let it simmer until it is reduced to a mere film on the bottom of the pan.
Add the rice, stirring quickly to coat the grains well with the meat mixture.
Add a ladleful (1/2 cup) of the simmering broth and begin the risotto process, stirring away with your wooden spoon to stop the rice from sticking until the liquid has been absorbed.
Add another ladleful and continue stirring, adding more stock as it gets absorbed until the rice is close to cooked (about 25 minutes). (If you need more liquid, use water.)
At this point add the remaining wine and stir till it too has been absorbed. Take the risotto off the heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the parmesan and stir thoroughly till the cheese has melted through.
Serve with a glass or two or three of Barolo wine and more grated cheese.
Note: the original recipe called for Barolo wine in the cooking. This seems a little wasteful of an expensive wine, so substitute a Nebbiolo variety red or a pinot noir. Drink the Barolo while you cook.