Ahwahnee Restaurant, Yosemite National Park, USA, revisions by James R. Kirkley, IV
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
1 pound, chorizo
1 1/2 cups, Arborio or Camaroli rice
3/4 cup, white wine
supply of near boiling chicken stock or chicken broth
1 shallot – chopped
4 cloves, garlic – minced
4 peppercorns – toasted and ground
kosher salt
pepper
butter – cubed
manchego cheese (you may substitute Pecorino, Romano or Zamorano) – shredded
METHOD
- Brown Chorizo and strain, retain some of the fat
- Toast peppercorns and ground
- In rondo heated on medium heat, saute’ rice in Chorizo fat until toasted
- Add shallots and garlic and continue to saute’ for 1-2 minutes
- Add wine and cook down until almost dry
- Slowly add chicken stock a few ladles at a time stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Chicken stock must to kept at near boiling temperature during this process. This is a slow and important process. Add only a ladle or two of stock at a time. Taste the rice often for texture, it should be creamy, if it’s chalky it’s underdone if it’s mushy you weren’t paying attention – you better start over.
- Season with salt and pepper
- When 3/4 of the way cooked add the Chorizo
- Finish with butter and Manchego cheese
- Serve, plate in large flat bowl using a huge splash of something green (basil, thyme or parsley) as a garnish. Go vertical with the garnish.
Risotto, underdone it’s chalky and nasty, overdone it’s mushy and nasty. This is a 22-minute never-fail recipe for perfect Risotto. I had to spend extra time in the Ahwahnee kitchen and wrestle this recipe out of my executive chef’s clinched fist! This i one of those recipes where you eat it and your whole body goes…YUM!I’ I like serving this recipe with a small piece of grilled chicken breast to cut the repetitive taste of the rice, because sometimes there is, indeed, too much of good thing.
