Corn and Tomato Risotto
Hello Friends,
You know by now that I am always raving about Martha Rose Shulman's recipes on the New York Times cooking site -- but this one really is a slice of summer's heaven!
In this recipe, Shulman calls for simmering the corn cobs in the broth that you will use to make the risotto. This adds a huge amount of corn flavor, but I increase this by simmering the corn silk from the cobs, as well as the cobs. (A friend who grew up in Mexico recently told me about this trick, which Mexicans use to make a refreshing, corn-silk tea.)
Another change I make to Shulman's original recipe to to substitute canola for olive oil (for the Omega 3-s, of course) and to give the directions for making the risotto in a pressure cooker. It's hot in summer (especially this summer!) and I don't understand why anyone would stand over a hot pot when one could use a pressure cooker. In fact, you're much more likely to even contemplate making this wonderful recipe if you know the pressure-cooker risotto technique.
Ingredients
- 2 good-size ears sweet corn
- well-seasoned vegetable stock or chicken stock (You'll need 3 cups)
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- ½ cup minced onion
- Salt to taste
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
- 1 pound tomatoes, seeded and diced
- Pinch of sugar
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- ½ cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc
- 2 to 3 tablespoons slivered fresh basil, or a mix of basil, chives, and parsley
- ¼ to ½cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (1 to 2 ounces)
Preparation:
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Remove corn kernels from cobs and set aside the kernels. Simmer the cobs (and the corn silk) in stock for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from stock and discard. Make sure your stock is well seasoned. Bring back to a simmer over low heat, with a ladle nearby or in the pot.
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Heat canola oil over medium heat in a pressure cooker. Add onion and a generous pinch of salt, and cook gently until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and rice and cook, stirring, until grains of rice are separate and beginning to crackle, a minute or two. Stir in tomatoes, sugar and salt to taste.
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Add wine and stir until it has evaporated and has been absorbed by the rice. Add 3 cups of the stock and stir: then close the top of the pressure cooker. Set the temperature on high. When the temperature gauge on the pot pops up, turn down the temperature of the burner and set a timer for 7 minutes. Meanwhile steam the corn kernels briefly in a microwave or on the stovetop until just barely cooked. They will finish cooking in the hot risotto. .
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After 7 minutes of cooking, place the pot under running water until you can open the lid. Stir in the corn kernels; grated parmesan cheese; and basil (or basil, parsley and chives) and remove from heat. The mix should be creamy. Adjust seasonings and serve in wide soup bowls or on plates. Enjoy! Be well and enjoy the last weeks of tomato and corn season. Susie
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