:: Food from the Past ::

Evergreen Pesto Risotto with Deglazed Seasonal Mushrooms

:: Megann’s Kitchen ::

:: evergreen pesto risotto with deglazed seasonal mushrooms & basil flowers ::

One of my favourite cafés of all time was in Sydney when I lived there almost 10 years ago. There was a little out of the way place in Surry Hills which had the most amazing pasta dishes that I had ever tasted. The menu was written on a roll of butcher’s paper & back then, nothing was over $19. No kidding, this was restaurant quality food but it felt as if you were sitting in a hot & busy Italian Kitchen with Nona at the helm.

Mick & I would frequent IlBarretto for the amazing quality pasta dishes at a respectable price. We had a few favourites - One was a Duck Ragu with Papardelle Pasta. The richness & depth of flavour in this dish left you yearning for more…. I was addicted! The other was a vibrant green Basil Pesto Risotto. At the time, I had not experienced a risotto like it. The drive of the basil bursts into your mouth, refreshing & filling with every mouthful. Ahhhh, I can still remember the flavours of these amazing dishes.

We loved this establishment. The fact that it was a no bookings deal, which left you taking a number & sometimes waiting hours at the pub across the road, simply added to its charm. It, in a way, was our little Italian getaway.

When we moved to Darwin with the RAAF, I was consequently devastated at the fact that I would no longer be able to have my favourite risotto for dinner. While in the heat, I wasn’t up for a Duck Ragu, but longed for the fresh risotto that I loved. As a result, Mick & I set about in the kitchen one weekend to recreate the “Pesto Risotto” we had become so fond of. Ok, so it is a far cry from the energetic green Il Baretto dish, but I like it just the same. After many years of tweaking, we have discovered a beautiful balance of flavours in this risotto dish that is great all year round, but absolutely perfect for a fresh Spring or Summer dish.

Now, shows like MasterChef have deemed Risotto the dish most difficult to make. Well, it’s not. Everyone loves it & all you have to do is know when it is ready to pull it off the heat & serve straight away. Follow these simple instructions for a perfect Risotto every time.

:: making the basil pesto for the risotto ::

Pesto

1 cup firmly packed basil leaves

½ cup of baby spinach

¼ cup flat leaf parsley

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ cups toasted pine nuts

1 clove garlic, peeled.

Sea salt & Pepper

80 grams finely grated parmesan

Put pine nuts & garlic clove in a blender or food processor & process until roughly chopped. Scrape down the sides with a small spatula. Add olive oil, parsley, basil  & spinach leaves. Blend. Pause the machine once or twice and scrape down the sides with the spatula to ensure even consistency. Process mixture until a smooth paste. Scrape pesto into a bowl & stir through the grated parmesan. Cover the bowl with cling film touching the surface of the pesto so it is not exposed to air to prevent oxidisation. Set aside until needed.

:: blending the pesto in my KitchenAid food processor ::

Quick Kitchen

:: To prepare in advance for a quick dinner, spoon pesto into a clean and dry 250ml screw-top jar. Press down with the back of a spoon to ensure there are no air pockets & seal with a film of olive oil. Store in the refrigerator until required.

:: No time? My local IGA in Beaumont Street makes a great, freshly prepared pesto that can easily be purchased to stir through the risotto at the last minute.

:: adding stock one ladleful at a time ::

Risotto

zest & juice of ½ lemon

1.5 litres chicken stock

200ml dry white wine

120g unsalted butter

1 Tbs olive oil

1 brown onion, very finely chopped

   (I like to use my Tupperware Smooth Chopper or Food Processor)

2 cups arborio rice

Freshly-grated parmesan cheese, to taste

:: makes approximately 6-8 serves

Heat the stock & wine in a saucepan bringing it to a gentle simmer. In a heavy-based, deep, non-stick frying pan, melt 60g of the butter & olive oil over gentle heat & sauté onion until softened, translucent & fragrant without colouring. This should take about 10 minutes. Add the rice & raise heat to a medium temperature. Stir constantly for about 1 minute to ensure rice is evenly coated with butter & looking slightly translucent. Add one ladleful at a time of hot stock. Simmer, stirring constantly as the liquid is absorbed. Taste the rice after 15-20 minutes. How quickly it cooks depends on the level of your heat. It should be soft with a hint "nuttiness" in the centre of each grain. Check the seasoning carefully. If you run out of stock before the rice is cooked, add some boiling water.

:: remove from heat & stir through the flavour accents ::

When the rice is ready, remove the pan from heat. Add the remaining butter, lemon zest, lemon juice & the pesto mixture. Stir the ingredients through, making sure the melted butter & pesto has distributed evenly. Place a lid on the pan and allow to rest for just 2-3 minutes. This is the most important part of making the perfect risotto but I find it is just enough time for me to warm the plates & sauté + deglaze the mushrooms. Serve without delay.

Kitchen Notes

:: I like to compare my “al dente” risotto rice grain to the toasted pine nuts that I prepared earlier in the dish. Take a bite of one of these & take note of the texture. You will find that it is nutty in texture with a little “bite” to it, yet smooth & creamy when chewed. Your risotto grain should be similar when tasting for its readiness.

:: I actually prefer a looser risotto. If you find that it absorbs too much moisture becoming thick & gluggy and you’ve run out of stock mixture, simply add some boiling water from the kettle.
:: To make this a vegetarian option, simply swap out the chicken stock for a vegetarian substitute, such as vegetable stock.

:: seasonal mushrooms, browned & deglazed ::

Quick Deglazed Mushrooms

500g seasonal mushrooms

2 tbsp olive oil

50g butter

100ml white wine

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut mushrooms to a similar size to allow even cooking. Heat a heavy-based frying pan over medium-high heat then add oil and butter. Add mushrooms & toss to coat. Continue cooking, moving mushrooms so that they brown & cook evenly but are still firm. Add the white wine, salt & pepper to taste. Serve when the wine has almost evaporated, giving the mushrooms a beautiful gloss.

:: preparation is key - have everything at the ready ::

:: using my Tupperware Smooth Chopper to finely dice onions ::

Kitchen preparation

:: To ensure the process is stress-free, prepare as much as you can before you start cooking. Prepare the chicken & wine stock on the stove mixture, juice and zest the lemon, prepare the mushrooms, grate the parmesan, measure your wine & risotto rice plus weigh out the unsalted butter + chop each into smaller pieces for easier melting.

:: a few delicious mouthfuls of Megann's Kitchen evergreen risotto ::

Serve & Style

:: Place risotto onto a warmed plate. It should gently ooze out to a delicious raised green puddle. Place desired amount of deglazed mushrooms on top of the risotto dish with a small drizzle of olive oil. If you like the salty sweetness of cheese like me, add some additional shaved parmesan or crumbled goats cheese. If available, I also like to add edible flora such as basil flowers.

:: risotto isn't something to be scared of - try it! ::

Source

:: To learn some more about making the perfect risotto, do some research. I found the Essential Ingredient & Australian Gourmet Traveller had some great cooking tips.

:: browning of the seasonal mushrooms ::

Quick Kitchen

:: Making Ahead: Although risotto cannot be prepared in full ahead of time, you can cook the risotto up through the coating of the rice in butter & olive oil. Place into a sealed container in the fridge until ready to finish. The moment the first addition of the stock mixture is added the dish will take 16-20 minutes to complete, depending on how chilled the rice is. I applied this method for the feature photo, not bad!

Leftovers: Any leftover risotto can be made into Arancini Balls. This is your desired risotto that is coated in breadcrumbs & fried in olive oil. This can be a great tapas style meal. They can also be a fantastic starter to a meal for dinner guests.

:: evergreen pesto risotto with deglazed seasonal mushrooms & parmesan ::

Please enjoy another Megann's Kitchen creation in your home

:: Asian Inspiration ::

Satay Sauce & Thai Salad

:: Megann’s Kitchen ::

:: the best ever satay sauce from Megann's Kitchen ::

They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach… & for my husband this Satay Sauce is it. Ever since I learnt that Satay was my husband's preferred dish, I have spent years trying to perfect it as it’s his absolute favourite. It started out just with my mum’s simple recipe - then as my taste buds developed, so did my quest for the perfect satay sauce.

This Satay Sauce is not traditional, however it is inspired by Asian flavours & was invented in Megann’s Kitchen by trial & error. That is the best way to create! It has quite a few ingredients, but you will find that many of them are pantry basics & easy to keep on hand. I love this Satay Sauce with a Thai salad as it is tasty & fresh, but you could serve it with anything. It is just so versatile! Great from BBQs with the friends to a simple weeknight meal with the family. 

:: chicken skewers with rice noodles & thai salad ::

Sauce

1 cup smooth peanut butter

¼ cup crunchy peanut butter

200 ml coconut milk

250-300 ml chicken stock

½ shallot or 1 spring onion, finely sliced

1 cheek of red capsicum, finely diced

1 Tbs coriander stalks, finely chopped

2 Tbs white vinegar

½ tsp red paprika

½ tsp dried chilli flakes (adjust to personal heat preference)

½ tsp ground coriander seeds

½ tsp ground cumin seeds

1 tsp soy sauce

1 small garlic clove, crushed

5 kaffir lime leaves, crushed in hands

1 lemongrass stalk, broken into four

1 Tbs fresh lime juice

1 tsp fish sauce, or to taste

Salad

300g salad lettuce - such as cos, butter, mixed greens, etc

200g cherry tomatoes, halved

1 continental cucumber, cut into thin matchsticks

½ red onion, finely sliced

1 long fresh red chilli, halved, deseeded, thinly sliced lengthways

½ bunch fresh mint, leaves picked, large leaves torn

½ bunch fresh coriander, leaves picked

½ bunch fresh Thai basil, leaves picked, large leaves torn

¼ cup toasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

2 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced

portions of rice noodles or jasmine rice to serve

Skewers

500g desired skewers, such as chicken

:: place all ingredients into the pot & heat ::

Place all satay sauce ingredients into a small saucepan & stir constantly over very low heat until the mixture warms & comes together. Remove from heat & let the flavours infuse for at least half an hour. While the sauce is resting, assemble all the salad ingredients in a large salad bowl & prepare rice noodles according to packet instructions. Cook your desired skewers & rest for 5 minutes. Just before you are ready to serve, quickly return the sauce to heat to bring to temperature but do not boil, as it will cause the oils to separate. Reheating should also bring it to a slightly thicker consistency, perfect for skewers. Remove lemongrass stalks & kaffir lime leaves & serve over skewers topped with extra coriander, chilli slices & toasted peanuts.

:: kaffir lime leaves freeze well to use another time ::

:: tying up the lemongrass with kitchen string for easy removal ::

Kitchen Notes

:: Don’t have crunchy peanut butter? Simply add 1¼ cups of smooth peanut butter & sprinkle some extra chopped peanuts over the top to garnish.

:: When making it for the family, there is always one that likes to spice things up a bit. Have some extra sliced fresh red chilli or dried chilli flakes in a side dish (but do not touch it with bare hands!) to cater for those who like a bit of heat!

:: I finely dice the capsicum & coriander stalks in a Tupperware Turbo Chef, saving a little time & effort.

:: I like to tie aromats, such as the lemongrass in this recipe, with kitchen string. That way they are easier to remove at the end.

:: Kaffir Lime Leaves & Lemongrass freeze very well – I always keep some frozen on hand for this recipe.

:: Vegetarian – simply leave out the chicken stock & replace with water.

:: add the satay sauce to anything you desire ::

Serve… Many Ways

:: with skewered… anything! Try chicken, beef, prawns, vegetables, etc.

:: with sautéed diced meat or vegetables in the sauce & pour over jasmine rice. Include a lime wedge + coriander as a garnish.

:: with the Thai Asian salad & rice noodles.

:: in iceburg lettuce cups. Simply assemble like a wrap with desired contents inside the lettuce leaf & eat – super healthy & fresh.

:: with a side of roti to soak up the extra satay sauce – available from supermarkets.

Quick Kitchen 

:: I have found that it also freezes well, so make some in advance/freeze leftover sauce alongside some prepared skewers to defrost for those surprise visitors or easy weeknight dinners.

Enjoy my very own personal creation! I hope you like it.