Mixed Seafood Risotto and a #FeastoftheSevenFishes Menu

I don't remember exactly when I first read about the Feast of the Seven Fishes, but this Christmas Eve tradition with roots in Southern Italy has been on my mind for a few years now. Served in Italian households on Christmas Eve (or La Vigilia), the meal typically consists of seven seafood dishes. Although nothing I've read has given the exact reason for there being seven dishes, it is said to stem from the seven being the most repeated number in the Bible, appearing over 700 times.

Other theories are that it represents the seventh day (when God rested), that the number represents the seven hills of Rome, or the seven sacraments of the Roman Catholic church. But then, there are also families who tend to serve upwards of twelve or thirteen dishes or courses, which could represent the twelve apostles (or the twelve apostles plus Jesus).

Risotto Bianco (...e rosso o verde) inspired by Big Night {food 'n flix}

Big Night is one of those films that I'd seen bits and pieces of here and there, yet never seen the whole thing.  And really, I have no idea why!  I'm a pretty big film buff.  And you know I love food.  Food plus film.  Foodie film.  Hellloooo.  Seems like something I should have already loved.  Fortunately, it was our "assignment" for Food 'n Flix this month thanks to Kristina of Spabettie.  So I had to make a point of actually watching the whole thing!

Now.  Little did I realize that this would actually pose a bit of a problem.  I thought I'd flipped by the film On Demand before, so I waited a bit too long to find out that it actually was not On Demand.  At least not anymore.  Shoot.  Head to the my library's website.  Ummm...nowhere in the system.  What!?  Click on over to trusty Amazon.  Oh, it was there.  But it was also 37 smackers + shipping.  Ummm, no.  So I had to do a little driving tour.  Nobody has it.  But they can order it.  Yeah, I waited way too long.  You see, I'm the kind of person that likes to have the actual movie in hand.  I would have settled for a rented copy even if I couldn't buy it.  So I went in for the last resort...and back to Amazon.  Fortunately you can buy a 24-hour rental of the film for $3.  It's not quite the same, but I went for it.  Seeing as how it the day before our submissions were due.  That would be today.  I'm pushin' it.

Now that I've actually seen it, I know I'll still be ordering myself a copy.  It is so much fun...and there's SO MUCH good food.  I want to throw a BIG NIGHT party, actually.  If you haven't seen it before, it's basically the story of two brothers from Italy who have opened an authentic Italian restaurant in America. Primo (the chef) refuses to bastardize his food.  Even to satisfy those pesky American customers with less-than-stellar palates.  I don't blame him.  Why would you want to pass up a chance to eat real Italian food!?

Anyhoo...their restaurant is in trouble (partly because of the fact that they...well, Primo...won't compromise).   Everybody goes to the hoppin' Pascal's across the street.  Live music, laughter, spaghetti with meatballs (even though "sometimes spaghetti likes to be alone"), flaming food served tableside. Pascal's gives the people what they want.  So, in a last ditch effort to save their dream, Secundo and Primo prepare a party to end all parties...a meal to end all meals...complete with amazing food, beautiful flowers, and live music (or so they thought).  This was to be their BIG NIGHT.

Although things didn't exactly go as planned, everybody was entranced by the food that Primo sent out from his kitchen.  While I would have LOVED to make a Timpano (and I will one day...), I just didn't have the time left to make it (but Kristina made an awesome one here).  I decided to go with rice in the colors of the Italian Banderia (flag) like Secundo and Cristiano served during that final meal.  And I'm okay with that.

Risotto Bianco

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20-25 minutes

Keywords: simmer side entree rice Italian

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Ingredients (serves 4)

• 4 Tbs. butter
• 1 small white onion, finely chopped
• 2 Tbs. finely chopped preserved lemon rind, optional
• 1 c. arborio rice
• ½ c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• salt
• white pepper

to make a green and red layer

• basil pesto (or other green pesto)
• red sauce (tomato, marinara, etc.)

Instructions

Add 5 cups of water to a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and keep on a low flame.

Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy, deep-sided pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until soft and translucent, ~3 minutes. If using, stir in the preserved lemon rind. Add rice and stir for a minute or two, until everything is well-coated with butter.

Add one ladle full of the simmering water to the rice, stirring almost constantly. Once all of the liquid has absorbed, add another ladle full of water. Continue this process until most of the water has been added, ~20 minutes.

Taste rice, it will be done when it is tender with a firm center. Add the parmesan and remaining butter; stir until melted and combined into creamy, starchy rice. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

to make tri-colored risotto (layered like the Italian flag or Bandiera)

I divided the rice into thirds. For the white (or bianco) layer, I left the rice as-is. For the green layer, I stirred in about ¼-½ cup of basil pesto at the end. For the red layer, I stirred in enough red sauce to color it. Layer on a platter and serve.

Risotto Bianco slightly adapted from Canal House Cooking vol. n° 7

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Food 'n Flix is being hosted over at Spabettie this month with the chosen flick Big Night.

Shrimp and Spinach Brown Rice Risotto

Do people eat risotto as a side dish?  Because I pretty much always treat it as an entree.  I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing, though.  It's such a rich, creamy, comforting entity that a little goes a long way.  But.  Since I don't eat it all that often...yes, I've made it twice now in about a month's time, but that's rare...I reason that it's okay.

Normally I stick with the traditional arborio rice in a risotto, but this one uses brown rice.  I used long grain brown rice because it's what I had in the pantry.  And it takes about double the time of a normal risotto to make.  That, my friends, is a loooooooong time. So gather up all of your "need-to-do's" and bring 'em in the kitchen with you.  You'll be there a while.  Next time I'll go with a short grain brown when making this.  I'm thinking it could cook in a bit less time.

Smoky Tomato Risotto

Lately, I've been dreaming of a creamy, satisfying plate of risotto.  I'm sure it has something to do with the thick blanket of snow outside, the perma-chill in my bones that I can't seem to shake, and the constant longing for a fireplace to cozy up beside.  Growing up we always seemed to have a fireplace either in our home or in the home of a family member (much like that cool, wet pool I long for in the summertime).  But, since we have yet to stumble upon our dream-home, I have to conjur up memories of fireplaces past.  I love the hiss that a log makes as the moisture longs for escape from the flames licking its edges.  And the pop of the superheated sap exploding.   And that comforting crackle that can lull me into submission.  I miss throwing in a pine cone or a cinnamon stick in order to catch a whiff of those scents of the season.

So, when I saw Natashya post an amazing looking Tomato Risotto that came from Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros, I immediately knew that I was making it.  After pulling my much-loved copy of the book from the shelf, I resolved that while I was making it, I was entirely in the mood to shake it up a bit and add a smoky, warming twist by throwing in some smoked paprika, smoked mozzarella, and fire-roasted tomatoes.  So, while I may currently be without fireplace, I do have a deep, rich, creamy, smoky heap of risotto on a plate in front of me to keep me warm.

Fantastic as a (vegetarian) main dish, I think it would also fare well as a base to shrimp, chicken, or even a fried egg.  

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Smoky Tomato Risotto

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: up to 30 minutes

Cook Time: ~30 minutes

Keywords: entree side vegetarian rice tomatoes Italian

Ingredients (serves 3-4)

Quick Vegetable Broth

• ½ onion, peeled & halved
• 1 carrot, broken in chunks
• ½ celery stalk, broken in chunks
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 small tomato, halved
• a few stalks of parsley
• 5 c. water
• sea salt

Risotto

• 4 Tbs. olive oil
• ½ onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• pinch of crushed red chile flakes
• 1 c. arborio rice
• 1 c. fire-roasted tomatoes, pureed (~1/2 14 oz. can)
• ~3 c. Quick Vegetable Broth (or vegetable stock)
• 1 Tbs. smoked paprika
• few sprigs of fresh basil, torn
• ¼ c. freshly grated Parmesan
• ⅔ c. smoked Mozzarella, shredded or diced small

to serve

• olive oil
• freshly grated Parmesan
• freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Quick Vegetable Broth (If you have vegetable stock, you can skip this step and just warm up your stock in a pan on the back of the stove.)

Put the veggies and herbs in a pot with the water and season with some salt. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a gentle simmer. Let cook about 30 minutes. Keep warm over lowest heat possible.

Making the Risotto

Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan. Saute the onion and garlic over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until they've just started to soften. Add rice and crushed red chile. Continue to cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for a few more minutes. All of the grains of rice should be coated and milky-looking.

Stir in the smoked paprika, half of the basil, and half of the tomato puree. Add in a ladle of warm stock. Continue stirring and adding in a ladle full of the broth at a time until the rice has just absorbed it...and then adding another. After ten minutes of doing this, add in the remaining tomato puree. Continue with remaining broth (up to ~3 cups). This process should take a total of about 20 minutes.

Test the rice. It should still feel somewhat firm (al dente), but also smooth and creamy. If it still feels hard, add in another ladle full of stock and cook down, stirring. When rice is al dente, turn off the heat and stir in both cheeses and the remaining basil.

Serve warm, drizzled with more olive oil and sprinkled with more Parmesan. Grate some black pepper over, if you wish. Enjoy!

note:

If you would like to remove the garlic cloves, do so just before stirring in the cheese. Personally, I leave them in...it's like a bonus if you get one on your plate!

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I am sharing this post with:
IHCC theme: Rice is Nice!
F.O.T.M.C.: Tomatoes
Bookmarked Recipes at Tinned Tomatoes (founded by Ruth's Kitchen Experiments)