Mare e Suolo Risotto

While some consider risotto one of the most difficult dishes to cook, I think it is one of the easiest to cook at home. I first learned to make risotto in Veneto many moons ago and it has since become one of my go-to comfort dishes, especially when the weather turns gray and cold. A bowl of risotto can be exquisitely soothing.

There are three critical factors in cooking risotto. The first is the pot. I use a Le Creuset Dutch oven to cook risotto and it makes a world of difference. Evenness in heat distribution is critical in any rice cooking and this enameled cast iron pot delivers in heat distribution and retention. You don't have to use Le Creuset Dutch oven, but I recommend an enameled cast iron Dutch oven if you are looking to up your risotto game. 

The second is the stirring. There is a misconception that rice needs to be constantly stirred, nonstop. You should only stir to prevent rice from sticking to the bottom. Remember that the rice is gently moving even without you stirring, so you shouldn't be slaving over the stove with your wooden spoon. You should stir as needed.

Snapshot taken near a rice field in neighboring town of Veneto

The third is making allowances. My risotto recipes call for more broth than usually required with a disclaimer that you may not use all since I've found that rice is very sensitive to heat. Even a slight variance in heat can cause the rice to absorb liquid at a different pace, so it is important to make allowances and plan to have more broth with leftovers rather than short on broth. 

The same goes for the cheese. Having more rather than the exact amount is a smart move since the cheese brings a creamy texture and flavor. 

Now that we know risotto is one of the easiest dishes to make at home, let's hop over to Mare e Suolo Risotto. Mare e suolo in English is sea and soil. The name comes from abalones of the sea and pancetta (salt-cured pork belly) and zucchini of the land. And, there is no land without soil. This recipe was tested in several different versions during my obsession with abalones. 

While I have always loved abalone sashimis in the past,  I was obsessed with abalones as an ingredient in recent months. Various pastas, gnocchi, and rice dishes were experimented with abalones... Calabrian Clams e Abalone Bigoli is one of the dishes created during my abalone-obsessed months. 

While Calabrian Clams e Abalone Bigoli packs heat, Mare e Suolo Risotto is soothing with sea and soil married in its creamy texture. 

INGREDIENTS

one cup of arborio rice, unwashed

a quarter teaspoon of minced garlic

thirty-two ounces of chicken broth

three abalones, shucked, cleaned and roughly diced

a half cup of zucchini, diced

four ounces of pancetta, diced

a third cup of grated asiago

a third cup of pecorino Romano

a third cup of parmesan

olive oil, to drizzle

Heat a Dutch oven over high heat while bringing chicken broth to a boil in another pot. Once the broth is brought to a boil, reduce the heat to keep the broth at a simmer. Once the Dutch oven is heated, drizzle with olive oil, enough to lightly coat its bottom. Add unwashed rice and quickly stir to toast the rice for about two minutes. Add minced garlic and quickly stir for about thirty seconds. 

Add two ladles of chicken broth to the Dutch oven, reduce heat to medium, and stir twice. While you keep an eye on the Dutch oven, heat a nonstick frying pan over high heat. Add diced zucchini and pancetta. Sauté for two to three minutes, remove from the heat, and set them aside.

Add a ladle of chicken broth to the Dutch oven and stir once or twice as needed. Once the rice soaks up the broth, add another ladle, stir occasionally, and repeat until the rice is al dente. 

Once the rice is cooked to al dente, then reduce adding one ladle of broth to a half ladle until the rice is cooked. Your rice cooking time should be about 20 to 30 minutes. You may have unused broth and that is fine. Add sautéed pancetta and zucchini. Stir to mix with the rice.

Add prepared abalones and quickly turn off the heat. Combine grated cheese into a bowl. Add a handful of grated cheese and stir to mix with rice. Add more cheese, a handful at a time, and mix until it meets your desired taste. You will have unused cheese, the amount will vary, which you can save to use later to garnish salads and soups. Serve the risotto immediately and savor every forkful!