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Fire and Rice Fire is the ever-present variable in the relationship between the raw and the cooked. It controls whether food will be done to a turn or reduced to ash. Learning to play with fire is like learning to dance with the gods of the kitchen. By varying fire’s context, using direct flame as in grilling or indirect as in frying or boiling, the cook modulates its effect. A good cook is someone who has learned to temper fire through a balance of instinct and practice. The very best chef’s understand the limits that we human have have to control the elements. Consider
the case of fire and risotto. Unleash heat directly into liquid and
Arborio rice and you’ll end up with mush. On the other hand, if you
first heat the rice with a touch of butter or olive oil, its grains will
toast and thereafter absorb the hot liquid differently, each grain of
rice remaining distinct but tender while its mass becomes creamy and
other worldly. Toasting
grain in oil or butter is a form of dry heat, since no liquid – be it
wine, water or stock –is used. This method lightly seals the exterior
layer of the grain, which can, nevertheless, still absorb ambient heat
and release its internal moisture. Then, when hot broth, water or wine
is added, each grain seems to cook as much from the inside as from the
outside in. While
no other grain will reward this skillful playing with fire as risotto,
most do become better than imaginable under this “toast first, bathe
later” regime. Rice tends to become glutinous and dowdy when boiled or
steamed. But pan toast rice before adding hot water or broth and each
grain will wear its distinction proudly, with the dish as a whole
achieving a full, nutty fragrance. Bulgur
wheat is another grain that can turn into a glob of sloppy starch or an
arresting pilaf, depending on how it is handled. When simply boiled in
water or broth, bulgar coarsens into a brownish version of
cream-of-wheat cereal. But toast the rough-cut grain in olive oil and
then allow it to absorb chicken stock a little at a time and the nutty
quality of the wheat blooms. Cooked this way, bulgar can serve as a full
main course or along with grilled food, as a replacement for potatoes or
pasta. Quinoa
also needs a tender touch. This grain can become both mushy and rather
bitter when boiled, but lightly browned in butter and slowly hydrated
with boiling broth; it develops a hind of almond and a smooth buttery
flavour. Unlike
risotto, which takes on a creamy sheen when stirred vigorously, most
other grains evolve into sticky, starchy clumps if they are stirred as
if there is no tomorrow. A smart cook, having worked the fire first
through oil and then liquid will soon become aware of the benefits of a
judicious fork. Stirring lightly and fluffing, rather than beating the
grain as it cooks is an art in itself. It also provides heat of a
different kind. Call it elbow grease lite, if you like. But in the
kitchen it always works. Bulgar
Wheat Risotto 5
cups chicken stock 1
tablespoon unsalted butter 1
tablespoon olive oil 1
medium onion, diced 2
cups bulgar wheat ¾
cup dry white wine ¾
cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese ¼
cup chopped fresh parsley Sea
salt and freshly ground pepper 1)
Place the stock in a pan and keep just below the simmer. In a
heavy deep skillet add the butter and oil and place over a medium heat.
Add the onion and cook, stirring, until it’s translucent. Add the
bulgar and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, 3 to 4 minutes. 2)
Reduce the heat to medium and add the wine. Cook, stirring until
all the liquid has evaporated. Add 1 cup of hot stock to the pan and
continue stirring until all the liquid has evaporated. Repeat with 3
more cups of stock letting the liquid evaporate between additions. Taste
the risotto to see if the bulgar is cooked; it should be tender with
just a bit of chewiness. If it is still too hard continue adding stock a
little at a time and stirring until done. 3)
Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the final ½ cup of
stock, the cheese and the parsley. Season with salt and pepper and
serve. Yield:
6 servings as a side dish |
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