Japanese Risotto
Servings 8
Prep time
15 minsCook time
45 minsTotal time
1 hrThis is a big twist on a classic dish. I love Japanese flavours so I decided to add some to an Italian-style risotto. Wasabi and pickled ginger is a match made in heaven and gives this dish a really interesting kick.
Ingredients
Method
Note: This recipe should be started a day ahead
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add cider vinegar, sugar, ginger and water. Bring to the boil, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and once cool, add cucumber and set aside to marinate overnight.
- In a small saucepan of boiling salted water, add quinoa and cook for 10 minutes or until soft. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan combine stock concentrate and hot water. Bring to the boil then turn off heat, leaving the pan on the element.
- In another large saucepan, heat oil and two-thirds of the butter over medium heat. Add onion and gently cook, stirring regularly, until onion is soft and translucent (around 5–6 minutes).
- Add rice to pan and cook, stirring, for around 2 minutes or until rice is just starting to crackle. Add wine and cook, stirring, until absorbed.
- Stir stock then add 1 ladleful (about ¾ cup) to rice mixture and cook, stirring, until absorbed. Repeat 1 ladleful at a time until all but 1 ladleful of stock has been added and absorbed by the rice.
- Turn off heat, leaving the pan on the element. Strain cucumber and add to pan along with cooked quinoa, wasabi tobiko, pickled ginger, remaining butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Stir thoroughly until well combined then cover and allow to sit for 3 minutes (no peeking!).
- Risotto must ooze over the plate—it should run almost like a soup—so if it's a bit thick, add as much of the remaining stock as necessary and stir to combine.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper then transfer risotto to serving plates. Garnish with extra wasabi tobiko and ginger and serve immediately.
Simon says ...
Wasabi tobiko can be found in any good Japanese food store and will keep for many months in the freezer.
It's super important that there is no colour in the onion... watch the heat and stir often while cooking to keep the onion moving.
When cooking the wine down with the rice, and after adding each ladleful of stock, the rice is ready for the next addition when you scrape the wooden spoon through the mixture and the pan is dry on the bottom.
It will take about 25 minutes to add/cook/absorb all the stock and the rice should be al dente.
Ensure rice mixture is just ticking over at a gentle simmer, you don’t want it at a rapid boil.
