Cooks Illustrated Corn Risotto Food

CORN RISOTTO

Steps:

• With food processor on, put shallots through feed tube to mince.
• Add carrots and chop.
• Heat butter in nonstick skillet. Add shallots and carrots, and saute over medium heat about 5 minutes.
• Shuck corn and strip kernels from cob. Add to skillet with milk, and cook over high heat.
• Wash, dry and chop thyme; add to skillet, and continue cooking until most of milk has evaporated.
• Meanwhile, remove stems from shiitake mushrooms, and discard. Wash, dry and slice mushrooms into thin strips.
• Grate cheese in food processor; set aside.
• Spoon corn mixture into food processor, and pulse two or three times to break up corn. Return to skillet with mushrooms and vegetable or chicken stock. Cook a few minutes, just to cook mushrooms through. Stir in cheese and serve.

CORN RISOTTO

Steps:

• Bring the corn stock or chicken stock to a simmer in a saucepan and keep it simmering as you prepare the risotto.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a wide, high-sided sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add leek and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add rice and cook, stirring, until grains look slightly translucent.
• Pour in wine and cook, stirring, until it has all been absorbed, about 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add a ladleful of hot corn stock to the rice mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until rice has absorbed all of the stock. Continue cooking, adding ladlefuls of stock whenever rice mixture looks dry and stirring continuously. When half the stock has been added, stir in corn. Continue cooking until all of the stock is incorporated, corn is tender and rice is creamy and tender, about 30 to 40 minutes total.
• Remove risotto from heat and stir in Parmesan and remaining tablespoon of butter. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.
• In an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat cream at high speed until it holds stiff peaks. Uncover risotto, stir vigorously and season to taste with salt and pepper. Immediately before serving, stir in the chives, if using, then gently fold in cream.
• Combine all ingredients with 6 cups water in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat so liquid is simmering; cover pot and let simmer for 30 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer. Add enough water to bring liquid up to 6 cups.

FRESH CORN RISOTTO

Steps:

• Reserve 1/2 the quantity of kernels (about 1 and 1/2 cups), and puree the rest in a blender with some of the stock/broth.
• Strain through a sieve and add this strained liquid to the rest of the stock in a saucepan.
• Taste for seasoning (salt).
• Heat to boiling point when ready to prepare risotto (and have the hot water available, just in case).
• In another pot (the one you will use for risotto), saute the onion and garlic in 2 tbs butter, until onion is translucent.
• Add the rice, and coat well, cooking another minute or so.
• Add reserved corn kernels.
• Add the hot broth to the rice/corn mix, one or two ladles at a time, stirring very frequently.
• Add more broth as it is absorbed by the rice.
• Continue this way for about 20 minutes, or until rice is cooked but"al dente", in a creamy base of"sauce".
• *ORsee optional method of cooking, below.
• If rice isn't done after using all the corn stock, continue to cook using hot water, 1/2 cup at a time.
• When rice is done to taste, add the remaining butter, cheese or cream, and taste again for salt and pepper.
• Serve at once.
• *Optional"cheater's"method of cooking risotto: Add 1/2 the hot stock to rice (and hold back the kernels); stir only occasionally.
• When stock is absorbed, add kernels and rest of stock, stirring enough to avoid rice sticking to bottom.
• Continue as above.
• For vegetarians use vegetable stock.

SWEET CORN RISOTTO

Steps:

• (NOTE: If using canned corn, skip this step.) Husk and wash corn and peel away all the silk, then slice the kernels off the cobs with a sharp knife. You should have about 2 1/2 cups corn kernels.
• Spin about a cup of the kernels in a food processor or blender until they are roughly chopped and milky. Scrape out the chopped corn and remix with the remaining whole kernels.
• In a large soup pot, saute the onion in the olive oil and butter with a pinch of salt until it is translucent and tender.
• Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan heat the vegetable broth and regulate the flame to keep it just below a simmer.
• When onions are soft, add the Arborio rice to the soup pot and stir it gently with a wooden spoon for two minutes. Next add the wine and stir until it is absorbed.
• Add a soup ladle of the heated broth and all the corn kernels to the rice and stir, keep it just at a simmer. Keep stirring until the broth is nearly all absorbed into the rice, then add another ladle.
• Continue with this process for 25 more minutes (TIP: Set timer now)-- adding a little broth at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon fairly frequently, for around 25 minutes or until the rice is al dente. It should form a creamy sauce around grains that are no longer crunchy but still firm.
• When the rice is just achieving this perfect balance of tender-firmness, stir in the last ladle of broth, the Parmesan cheese, and 2 Tbsp of chopped parsley.
• It is ready to serve!