Risotto alla Romano (Roman Style)

Risotto alla Romano (Roman Style)

 See the recipe for risotto alla milanese for all about arborio rice. 

Risottos are flavored with harmonious ingredients such as chicken, shellfish, sausage, vegetables, stocks, cheese, white wine, herbs, or a combination of these. 

This Roman style, in its simplest form, uses tomatoes and garlic. It is this risotto the Romans use for suppli 

 2 Cups arborio rice or Carnaroli rice 

½ Cup pinot grigio or another dry white wine 

 3 Tablespoons of butter 

 3 ½ Cups of low salt veal stock (if doing a sea food version reduce this to 3 cups and add to it, a ½ cup of clam juice. 

 2 Inches of beef marrow 

1 Tablespoon concentrated tomato paste 

1 Medium-size white onion, diced 

1 8-ounce can of San Marzano plum tomatoes 

2 Cloves chopped crushed garlic 

Finely chopped slices of Prosciutto ham 

 

Optional for seafood version :

(½ Pound of cockles or small manila clams 

 ½ Pound mussels 

 4-5 Mantis shrimp (Canocchie) )

1 Tablespoon sweet butter 

 Finish with 3 Tablespoons of butter or unfiltered extra virgin fruity olive oil 

 8 Tablespoons of graded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (skip if seafood version) 

 Salt and white pepper to taste 

 Chopped Italian parsley 

In a separate pot, heat wine and stock to a boil and retain. The wine-veal-stock mixture will be added, ½ cup at a time with a ladle. Wipe the bone of any saw chips. Boil a small pot of water. Dip the marrow briefly in the boiling water for a minute. Chop the marrow. Brown the marrow in a heavy sauce pan with in 3 tablespoons of butter, and then add the onion. When the onion begins to clear but not brown, add the rice and garlic. Stir until the rice is coated and shiny and has absorbed the fat. If using Prosciutto, add it now. Add a pinch of salt and carefully pour in ½ cup of the boiling wine-vealstock mixture over rice. Stir the rice occasionally and cook on medium for 15 minutes adding liquid judiciously as liquid is absorbed and as is needed. The finished rice should only be slightly moist. 

In the meantime, if adding seafood, sauté it in some extra butter and a splash of wine and cover. Seafood will be added last. The rice is done when “al dente” – cooked through but still somewhat firm at the center. Keep in mind the rice will continue to cook even when removed from heat so remove it from the heat sooner than later. If NOT adding seafood, then stir in 3 tablespoons of butter and 6 tablespoons of graded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and adjust the seasonings. The balance of the cheese is for topping each bowl of rice. Optionally, drizzle with a little truffle oil. If adding seafood, then strain the juices from the seafood in case there is sand in it, reduce a bit on the stove and then add it and the seafood to the rice