May 2009 - Baked Capsicums Stuffed with Porcini Risotto

So to the penultimate issue for May. There are some really nice Italian recipes in issue #82.

There are two different recipes for Tuscan Bread Soup. The one from the real fast food section looked nice. However Ben O'Donoghue's recipe looked wonderful. Lovely and thick and and full of everything that you would expect from an Italian soup. Since I had already made recently minestrone, and had a heap left over I wasn't keen for more soup in the fridge.

I had planned on making Valli Little's Twice roasted potatoes with onion, herbs and chilli. It is a really easy recipe, although takes a little time. It first involves roasting whole potatoes then cutting them into chunks sprinkling with herbs, sliced onions, chilli flakes and olive oil and roasting further. To make it a bit more rustic tearing rather than cutting the roasted potatoes would probably be nice. I had planned on making these to go with the meal from the May 2010 issue however I decided that I would be better off with a plainer potato for that meal. Plus I was having my grandparents coming for dinner that night and was worried about too much chilli for them.

The recipe that I ended up making comes from an article with recipes attributed to Francesco Garripoli and Valli Little, so I am not sure which of them came up with the fabulous Baked Capsicums Stuffed with Porcini Risotto. It was served with a beautifully tangy parsley and onion salad. I love stuffed capsicums. I do them with a variety of different things from chicken & cheese to a savoury mince meat concoction, there was also a quinoa stuffing that a tried from another blog that was very good. I had never thought to stuff them with risotto before, although I do stuff eggplants with risotto.

The porcini risotto was just lovely too. I used the left over in some risotto cakes the following night and although not as good as it was when stuffed in the capsicum it was still very nice. I think that the sweetness of the roast capsicum and the tangy parsley salad really helped to mellow the earthiness of the porcini mushrooms which were a bit overpowering when the risotto was eaten without those accompanying flavours. I also made the risotto slightly differently too. The recipe had it start out like a regular recipe but had all the liquid put in at once and it left to absorb, shaking occasionally. I have tried this method for making risotto in the past however I find that it is not nearly as nice as a stirred risotto. This was a lovely meal, one that I would make again, although perhaps just with a regular mushroom risotto or any type of risotto really.

Baked Capsicums Stuffed with Porcini Risotto

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 20 g dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 1 cup boiling water for 10 minutes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
  
• 1 small red onion, finely diced
  
• 2 cups (440 g) arborio rice
  
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) dry white wine
• 1 L (4 cups) vegetable stock
  
• 1 heaped tbsp each of chopped fresh basil, oregano, flat-leaf parsley and thyme
  
• Zest of 1 lemon
  
• 1/2 cup (40 g) grated parmesan
  
• 3 large red and 3 large yellow capsicums

Parsley & Onion Salad

• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
  
• 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
  
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil (I only used a drizzle)
  
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Method:

• Drain mushrooms and chop. Reserve soaking liquid.
  
• Cook onion in olive oil in a large pan until softened.
  
• Add mushrooms and rice and stir until rice is coated in oil and translucent.
  
• Add wine and cook stirring.
  
• Add stock ladle by ladle stirring continuously until the stock has been incorporated.
  
• Add herbs, zest and parmesan. Set aside.
  
• Pre-heat oven to 190 C
  
• Remove the tops of the capsicums and remove the seeds and membranes. Rinse to make sure all seeds are gone and then pat dry.
  
• Fill capsicums with risotto, drizzle with some olive oil and bake for 15 minute or until softened slightly and filling is heated.
  
• For salad: Toss all ingredients and season with pepper.