Stanley Tucci's risotto cakes
Stanley takes the bread out the oven and whips up his famous risotto cakes - a staple lunch he prepared for his Devil Wears Prada co-stars.
Makes: 20 to 24 cakes
Ingredients
2 cups room temperature risotto2 eggs, lightly beaten¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano2 cups fine bread crumbs3 tablespoons olive oil3 tablespoons vegetable oilSea saltFreshly ground black pepper
Method
In a bowl, combine the risotto, eggs, cheese, and salt. Cover and refrigerate for about 20 minutes to firm up until ready to roll.
Place the bread crumbs in a shallow dish. Form the cold risotto mixture into 2½-inch balls. Passing them back and forth between your hands, flatten the balls into patties and coat them in the bread crumbs, letting any excess bread crumbs fall away. Place them on some waxed or parchment paper on a tray or platter, and put them back in fridge for up to 30 minutes.
In a 12-inch sauté pan, heat 1½ tablespoons of the olive oil and 1½ tablespoons of the vegetable oil over low heat. When the oil is hot, gently place a few of the risotto cakes into the pan and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until golden brown. Flip the risotto cakes and cook for 3 to 5 minutes more, until the second side is golden brown. Make sure you gently lift them to check that the underside is golden and crisp before turning to brown the other side.
When they are done to your liking, use a spatula to transfer the risotto cakes to paper towels to drain. Carefully wipe out the pan with excess paper towels to remove any stray bread crumbs. Heat the remaining 1½ tablespoons olive oil and 1½ tablespoons vegetable oil and continue as above until you have cooked all of the risotto cakes.
Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot or cold.
STANLEY’S TIP
When served with a green salad, these make a great lunch, and alongside fried eggs, a fantastic breakfast.
Stanley’s basic risotto
There’s no doubt that the process of making risotto is a time consuming and delicate one, however, as we all know, the results are well worth it.
This is a basic plain risotto recipe, but I have included options in the Tips for making saffron and lemon versions.
I prefer Vialone Nano rice from Italy’s Po Valley, which is the traditional rice of the Veneto.
Serves: 4 to 6
1½ quarts good chicken or vegetable stock3 to 4 tablespoonsbutter1 large shallot, finely chopped½ onion, finely chopped3 cups (585g) risotto riceapprox. 150ml (5 ounces) dry white wineSea salt and freshlyground black pepper1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Method
Bring the stock to a simmer in a large saucepan and keep it simmering gently within easy reach.
In a separate, medium-size Dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and onion and cook gently for about 5 minutes, until they are soft and translucent. Add the rice and stir to combine it with the butter, shallot, and onion, coating and toasting each grain thoroughly. Cook for 2 minutes more, then add the wine, stirring it into the rice. Keep stirring until the wine has been almost completely absorbed.
Now add the first ladle of stock—enough to just cover the rice— and season with salt, then reduce the heat a little. Keep stirring often so that the rice doesn’t stick. (Note: You don’t want the heat turned down too low, or your rice will become chalky, or turned up too high, where it becomes gummy. As you do this more often, you will learn to feel how much you need to stir, and how and when to adjust the temperature.)
Keep adding the stock as the rice absorbs it, a ladle at a time and then in decreasing quantities, until the rice is cooked, stirring gently throughout. It should take about 20 minutes, sometimes a little longer, depending on the rice. When it’s done, the rice grains should be al dente and the risotto itself should have a creamy, giving texture, it should not be wet.
Remove the risotto from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Then add the remaining 1-2 tablespoons butter and the parmigiano and stir well to combine. Serve immediately.
Recipe taken from THE TUCCI TABLE by Orion Books, hardback & eBook, priced £25/£12.99