I drove to work unable to see. Mainly because my sun stained and scratched sunny’s had met their inevitable retirement. But also, the monsoon. This desert (apparently) is not all that dry. Hail pelted the windshield and George (Duke of Clarence)* my cabernet colored Jeep Cherokee took the brunt of its beating.
As I squinted, George sank. Puddles became impassable. Flood warning alarms and hazard lights were the blurry horizon’s plenty. I didn’t mind too much. These are times when control must be relinquished and fate is old fashionably – late.
So I spun off (into a metaphorical daydream). Superficial thoughts didn’t plague or bog me down. Mindfully, I flirted with hims and haws that worked out their own kinks or kindly dissipated out the sleeted window landing somewhere down Shea Boulevard. Parched, I chugged about a gallon of ice cold water, turned off the radio and welcomed the pelts. Smiling.
I love the rain. I love sitting outside under a covered patio, gently misted in the face by the occasional horizontal renegade drop in hundred degree Alabama humidity. Storms there are opaque. The ones here boast cataclysmic lightning shows, giving anything on NatGeo a run for its money. Even spit spat splatter of the dreary wearies (late, chilly, dewey springs) are nostalgic.
After a looong shift, the midnight dark sky welcomes me home. A fruit fly slowly drowns in my Gerwürztraminer. Fruit flys have a 40 day lifespan. What a way to begin retirement.
I think about George. He’s been victimized, but he greets me, smiling.
You and your harem (or your brother’s); Takes 1hr 15 min
Ingredients for Gewürztraminer and Saffron Drowned Risotto
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 4-5 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup good Gewürztraminer wine
- 1/2 small fennel bulb, diced small, fronds reserved
- 1/2 small leek (white end), small diced and washed well
- 4 artichoke hearts, chopped (see note on roasting in method)
- 1 large pinch saffron
- 1/2 cup sweet heirloom tomatoes
- Zest and juice of 1 meyer lemon
- 1 tbsp non-floral honey or agave
- 4 cloves roasted garlic (see note below in method)
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1 tbsp giardiniera oil (optional)
- 2 tsp Maldon salt
- Salt, pepper, olive oil
Method
Ahead of time, roast your artichokes – here’s how:
Heat oven to 400F. Cut artichokes in half, removing fibrous ends and chopping all the pokes off the top of the leaves. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and roast for 35 min on parchment lined sheet tray.
*(If you are roasting your own garlic head, now would be the time to toss it in as well; cut the head off, pour on a little oil and salt, and wrap in a satchel of foil).
While the chokes have 15 minutes left to roast, add the tomatoes to the tray along with a glug of oil and spritz of salt. Cook for duration of timer. Remove the leaves (and indulge) and toss the choke. Chop the hearts and garlic cloves. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven, add a few hefty glugs of olive oil and 1 tbsp butter with leeks, fennel and a good pinch of salt.
Add lemon zest/juice and cook until veggies are translucent ~ 7 min. Then add the artichoke hearts, garlic and a good pinch of pepper.
Turn your heat to medium low and add rice allowing it to get slightly golden (just for a minute or two) then deglaze with wine. Stir constantly until the liquid is nearly evaporated.
Add Maldon, honey and saffron and mix in.
Add chicken stock, 1 cup at a time, allowing the rice to absorb it until nearly evaporated. You pretty much have to baby this rice. Don’t walk away. Stir almost constantly. And as the broth is nearly absorbed, add another cup until the rice is done. *This takes about 25-30 min (if your using 4-5cups stock).
Turn off the heat and taste the rice. Add the rest of the butter, all the mozz, the giardiniera oil and half of the parm.
Top with roasted tomatoes, the rest of the parm and the fennel fronds.
This risotto is perfect for year round as a side dish. But in case you need other ideas, how about:
- Street Corn Salad (with Steak Cherry Chimichurri)
- Greek Mezze Platter with Eggplant Dip and Tzatziki
- Christmas Risotto
- Japanese Yam and Carrot Gnocchi
- Brussels and Butter Beans with Pomegranate
* George, Duke of Clarence was brother to King Edward in 1400’s England. So the story goes (as I know it): He was a rebellious little scallion who apparently tried to kill his brother multiple times in failed attempts. After Edward had had enough, he (being a noble ruler) sentenced George to death of his own choosing…and what a choice…To drown in vat of wine.
**Note; I used pine nuts as a garnish in this application, but I did not like them, so omit. Please and thank you.
