Risotto - the labour of love no matter what, where or when!!!

Perhaps I'm living in a too perfect world, but I was always under the impression that some things just took time - things like paint drying, nail polish not smudging, plants growing, bananas ripening, risotto being prepared from scratch...

Seems with the last one on my list, I am apparently wrong. 

I dined at a newly established restaurant in Melbourne recently (no names) & was excited to be stationed at the bar, watching the chefs plate up the night's menu for the eager diners, including myself and the devine Miss M.

However, when it came to the arrival of my own dish, a delicious sounding risotto, I was a little perplexed to see a large container of precooked rice appear from the chiller and - SHAZAM - my 30 second dish was in front of me, steaming hot! WHAT!?!?!?

And as I expected, the flavour was nowhere to be tasted. 

To me, risotto is a labour of love. From the decision as to what key ingredients the add, the addition of wine to the stock, knowing that the rice quality is imperative, through to the constant stirring and finally, the end result.

I've ordered risotto before at restaurants and whilst I haven't seen it prepared in front of me as I did recently, I'm confident that most people understand that this dish, like a souffle, takes time - and diners are prepared to wait. 

So, here is one of my favourites combination that, if you love mushrooms, will hit the spot. 

1 onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup good quality arborio rice

2 1/2 cups good stock (chicken, veal or veggie) with 1/2 cup of this quantity being white wine

90g butter

250g mushrooms, of your choosing, sliced

1 teaspoon truffle oil

1/2 cup parmesan

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

Prepare all base ingredients and bring stock to the boil, then reduce to a simmer.
At the same time, melt butter over low/med heat - add mushrooms and cook down until soft.
Add truffle oil, mix through and set aside to absorb flavour.
Heat olive oil in heavy based saucepan over medium heat and sauté onion & garlic until soft.
Add rice and mix thoroughly to coat with olive oil. If need be, add an additional tablespoon.
Stir constantly and grains of rice should start to tinge golden brown. About 2-3 minutes.
Turn the stock off simmer and start to add to the rice, a ladle at a time.
Keep the lid on the stock after each ladle addition, just to keep it as warm as possible.
Stir continuously and wait until absorbed before adding more stock.
Continue this process until all stock is absorbed.
When adding last amount of stock, also add mushroom mixture.
Check rice to taste - cooking time by now should be around 25-30 minutes. Rice should be firm but cooked through.
If necessary add a little more liquid - water is fine - to assist the process.
Finally add Parmesan, stir through, then the parsley.
Cracked pepper at the end and you see good to serve.

I particularly love the buttery flavour of the truffled mushrooms and how they complement the rice texture. 



Give it a go and let me know how it comes together for you. Great served with a rocket salad, lightly dressed with balsamic! 



Other favourite variations include:

Leek, lemon & pea

Bacon, onion, lemon & spinach

Beetroot & goats cheese

and

Strawberry, Chardonnay & blue cheese - vive la France!!!!

The Rise and Rise of Hairy Canary.....and Sourdough.

I can't believe it! Hairy Canary, one of the first ever cafes (well, its more than a cafe really) that I visited in Melbourne way back in 2000 (well before the dream of moving here had become a reality), turns 15 this year!!!! That's a great feat for a Melbourne dining spot and one that really has stayed true to its traditions. It's look, feel and overall concept hasn't changed in all that time - and as they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I have actually been there twice this week - once with my Sydney friend Monique and her daughter, Madison and the second time to take rest whilst 'declaring my love for Melbourne' at Melbourne Open House.

I noticed on the menu that the kitchen made their own sourdough and it got me thinking about the rise....and rise of sourdough. Gone are the days of straight, stock standard wholemeal, wholegrain, multi-grain and white breads. It seems that sourdough is the preferred choice.

So, I thought I'd check out exactly what it is about sourdough that is making it so popular these days.

Sourdough is the oldest form of leavened bread in the world, dating back to 1500BC. In more modern times, San Francisco became a hub for the 'loaf' during the Gold Rush, and is now sold down at Fisherman's Wharf filled with chowder. In fact, saw this for myself when I was over there in 2009. It's a pity that the loaf is often thrown to the seagulls and not eaten. Seems to defeat the purpose of its goodness.

The way that bakers prepare bread now is very different to some 60 years ago. Some of the mainstream bakeries can now produce a loaf of bread in just 40 minutes! In the past, bakeries would run two shifts throughout the night because the dough was fermented properly and it needed time for this to occur...and manpower.

Free of commercial yeast, sourdough bread has an aroma and distinctive flavour all of its own and is naturally leavened by a fermented starter. Sourdough also has a mild effect on blood sugar, meaning that if you eat sourdough, it will not increase your blood sugar. This is great for Type 1 & 2 Diabetes sufferers.

Only when wheat gluten is properly fermented is it healthy for human consumption. When not it is potentially one of the most highly allergenic foods we eat. People with allergies to commercially yeasted breads may not have the same sensitivities to naturally leavened whole grain sourdough bread.

For the rest of us healthy folk, what's important for us to realise is that naturally leavened bread, because of its inherent beneficial ferments, slowly recreates the population of friendly lactobacillus digestive bacteria in the absorption tract. The end result is a recovery of digestion and proper elimination by the effective action of friendly bacteria. Numerous studies demonstrate that populations with the highest fibre intake have the lowest incidence of colon cancer.

Instead of supplying a recipe this blog edition, I'm going to recommend some of my favourite sourdough makers around the traps.

Melbourne:
Dench Bakers

Firebrand Sourdough

Irrewarra

Brisbane:
Sol Breads

Jocelyn's Provisions

Sydney:

Sonoma

Can you recommend any too??

Street Food - Pho the Love of It!

Hello again!

Firstly, can I assure you that I don't have an issue with my understanding of what number comes after what.

I've just noticed, upon reflecting on my 'seven blogs in seven days' that the sequencing of the posts seems to be a bit out of whack! I'm going to blame blogger as I can vouch for my own preparation of the said pieces. One comes before two, three four and so on.

But let's not ponder, let's move onto something different and talk about how we can expect our experience of dining out to change as the next phase of food trends embrace us.

We've all travelled, and to some pretty exotic and far away places no doubt. Most of the fun (for me at least) is seeing what the locals eat and in some instances tempting fate (and food poisoning) to try some of the local traditional dishes.

I remember being in Sweden and trying reindeer (poor Rudolph!!) and then eating cloudberries in Norway (oh, what an amazing taste sensation that was).

Closer to home, I just adore a trip down Victoria Street in Richmond (Melbourne) to sample some of the amazing offerings available at the many Vietnamese establishments. The far end of Victoria Street (furtherest away from the CBD), seems to offer the greatest throng of very basic looking eateries (I won't call them restaurants or cafes because I just don't think they are) where you can get some really amazing street food. One dish in particular that can take all of your cares and worries away is Pho (pronounced 'fur).

Pho is everything, all at once - hot, cold, raw, cooked, sweet and sour. Not because it has an identity crisis and can't decide what it wants to be, but more so because this is what the dish is all about....everything!

You start with a base broth which is traditionally beef but can be complemented with the alluring flavours of star anise, cloves and cinnamon. Cardamom can also be substituted.

The next essential addition is rice noodles which can either be fresh or dehydrated. These 'chunk' up the dish but do not detract from the alluring broth's flavour but rather enhance the dining experience.

Now it's time to construct a Pho that is unique to your requirements with the addition of a range of raw ingredients, in varying quantities (entirely up to you, the individual). It's like a smorgasbord at your table without the need for queuing. Who could ask for more...

Sliced beef or chicken and a series of garnishes - bean sprouts, spring onions, fresh chilli, Thai basil, coriander and the pièce de résistance, wedges of lemon or lime. As a result of the final addition of citrus zing, the dish is instantly transformed and offers the diner a cleansing and tangy kick into next week. Pho has been described as one of those dishes that makes life better. Here's a recipe to try to see if it does the trick for you.

Beef Pho (by Donna Hay with Iron Chef Shellie alterations)

375g flat rice noodles (similar to ones used in pad Thai)
1.5 litres beef stock or consomme
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
1 spring onion, cut into 0.5cm pieces (I like to cut mine using scissors)
200g eye fillet, cut paper thin (the best way to do this is to freeze, then cut with a very sharp blade)
1 cup bean sprouts
1 cup Thai bail
2 small red chillies, sliced
Fish sauce lemon wedges, to serve

Cook the noodles according to packet instructions. Drain and divide between serving bowls.

Place the stock, cinnamon, star anise and cardamon in a saucepan over high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.
Top the noodles with the spring onion, beef and pour over the stock. The stock will cook the raw eye fillet.

Top with the Thai basil, bean sprouts and chilli.

Add fish sauce and lemon or lime juice to taste.

Serves 4.

If you can't be bothered doing any of this at home, visit Co Do in Melbourne (on Victoria Street, Richmond of course) and enjoy a great splash of Asian street food!