Risotto Caprese (risotto with tomatoes, basil & fresh mozzarella)

As I’ve mused several times over the years from past posts on Teenie Cakes, I’m a long time fan of Seinfeld. There are just so many episodes and scenes that are downright memorable. Seinfeld writers wittingly used many food references and stories around how cuisine is interwined in our lives and the extent to which we will go to satisfy those palatable cravings and what we compare them to. The first time I heard of “risotto” was from a Seinfeld episode – and I was intrigued…what is risotto? What was it that George’s date, Karen, found so satiable in a dish called risotto?

(Click on the image for a YouTube version of the risotto scene.)

It would be many years later before I discovered this classic, creamy and delicately prepared rice dish from northern Italy.

Fast forward to an anniversary dinner years ago Hubbs and I were enjoying. I experienced the most delicious lemon-parmesan risotto…it even outshined the swordfish (swordfish served with avocado butter… TASTY!) it was served next to and the decadent creme brulee we enjoyed after dinner. It was gooood and not ever to be forgotten.   A good risotto has the right texture…and this is not always easily achieved when a novice OR if not patient enough to see the risotto through its cooking process.

Even A Good Restaurant Can Mess Up A Risotto

Several months ago, Hubbs and I were visiting a dear family member who had not tasted a “good” risotto. We were enjoying a celebratory dinner at a very nice restaurant. Everything from the ambiance, service and all meal courses were exemplary except one thing.   You guessed it.  It was the only thing left on our table that was practically untouched. Why?   The macadamia risotto was undercooked.   Obviously someone in the kitchen had cut some corners and did not allow the liquid to fully absorb within the rice.   The result…grainy, badly textured risotto.   It was too bad because it had a great flavor.   The Chef was apologetic and it was not included on our guest bill.

About this Risotto Caprese

This risotto dish not only includes classic flavors by using fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and basil, it’s aesthetically inviting from the bright red tomatoes, specks of green, fragrant basil and small gobules of melted cheese.    Add even more mozzarella and basil if you enjoy the combination of flavors. Using smaller sized mozarella balls works better for this dish. If using large sized mozarella balls, cut them in half or quarters so that the cheese balls are about the size of a walnut. Here, I had fresh mozzarella in a log form so I cut it into slices and then quartered.

I served this as a side dish next to some beautifully cooked beef filets (cooked to perfection by the Grill Meister, himself – Hubbs). This risotto dish can be enjoyed with either a light bodied red wine, if serving with a filet or if you’re not serving red meat, it would pair beautifully with a lovely savignon blanc.   Since serving this risotto with meat, a beef stock would be more complimentary to use instead of chicken stock.

Notice the appearance of the risotto from the first image to the image below?   The risotto thickens even more after cooking and especially if serving leftovers for the next day.   Something to consider if you know you’ll have leftovers, so plan accordingly so you don’t have dried out risotto.

Notes about Risotto

• Start with room temperature ingredients. Cold ingredients added to the risotto will shock the rice and delay the full absorption of the liquids in the rice.
• Any wine you enjoy drinking, can be used in risotto dishes. Use room temperature wine when using wine in risotto.
• Cut up fresh herbs like basil, right before use. Cutting too far in advance could lead to premature browning on the edges of the cut herbs.
• Varieties of rice to use in risottos include: Arborio, Baldo, Carnaroli, Nano and Vialone.
• Do not rinse rice before cooking. Rinsing the rice will cause the starches in the rice to begin releasing too soon.
• Risotto absorbs all the flavors added during the cooking process. A good guide for stock usage (but a guide that doesn’t have strict parameters for still achieving a tasty risotto regardless) –
  • Risottos that contain poultry: Use chicken stock.
  • Risottos that contain meat: Use  beef or veal stock.
  • Risottos that contain seafood: Use fish or shellfish stock.
• Many recipes include stirring butter in at the end of the cooking process to lend a creamy, silky finish to the risotto. When using a high-quality rice that’s been properly stored and contains a good degree of starch, the butter finish is not necessary and should be considered optional.
• From what I’ve read, in Italy: Cheese is not generally used in a dish with fish or shellfish in order to avoid overpowering the delicate flavors of the fish.
• When adding stock, one ladle at a time: Wait until the stock is almost completely absorbed, but the rice is NEVER dry on top before adding the next ladle of stock.

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Using smaller sized mozzarella balls works better for this dish. If using large sized mozzarella balls, half or quarter so that the cheese balls are about the size of a walnut. Here, I had fresh mozzarella in a log form so I cut it into slices and then quartered.

Risotto Caprese (risotto with tomatoes, basil & fresh mozzarella)

source modified from The Williams-Sonoma Collection: Risotto

Makes 4-6 Servings

Ingredients

7-8 cups low-sodium chicken stock

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced

3 cups Arborio rice

1 cup dry white wine, room temperature

3/4 pound mozzarella cheese (mozzarella log or smaller balls) – see note on mozzarella size
2 cups cherry tomatoes, stemmed and halved
1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

In a saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a slow simmer and maintain over low heat.

In a larger saucepan to hold the risotto, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onions. Sauté the onions until softened, about 4 minutes.   Add the rice and stir to coat with the olive oil until the grains are translucent (semitransparent) with a white dot in the center – about 3-5 minutes.   Add all of the wine and gently stir until the wine is completely absorbed in the rice.

Add the simmering chicken stock, a ladleful at a time and stir frequently after each addition of the stock.  When the stock is almost absorbed, BUT the rice is not dry on the top, add another ladleful of the stock.    Continue this process until you have only 1/4 cup stock left and reserve at least this 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup for the risotto finish.

When the rice is tender to taste but still slightly firm through and it looks creamy, remove from the heat (about 20-25 minutes).   Gently fold in the reserved stock, mozzarella, tomatoes and basil.   Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Store leftovers in the refrigerator in a tightly closed container and gently warm up for the next meal.