Risotto of Green Garlic, Cauliflower & Moroccan Spices

A masterful risotto that fuses an Italian classic with the haunting flavors of Morocco.

Risotto is one of the greatest dishes of all time. Leave it to the Italians to come up with a dish that transcends categorization.

Risotto can be simple or complex. It’s eaten by peasants and royalty. Grandmothers make it. So do celebrated chefs.

Perhaps what can be said definitely about risotto though is that it lends itself to endless interpretation and variation. It’s a blank canvas for the inventive cook.

At its most basic, risotto is nothing more or less than the best quality short-grain Italian rice (Italian arborio superfino, carnaroli, or vialone nana), butter, stock, Parmesan, and salt. And I always add wine to the mix as its acidity balances the creamy richness of the dish.

I wrote a virtual treatise on risotto in an earlier post, so I won’t repeat that here. But definitely review Tips & Tricks for the Best Risotto, Basic Risotto Process, Basic Risotto Proportions, and Using Leftover Risotto in my earlier post, Risotto of Sweet Corn with Corn Coulis, Zucchini, Chevre & Green Chile Oil.

Now that I’ve mastered the basic risotto process (after years of teaching it to culinary students), I like to play with the concept and even cross culinary boundaries to come up with intriguing new flavor combinations.

Morocco is not all that far from Italy, so this flavor pairing is not far-fetched to my palate. I must say, however, that this risotto doesn’t really need Moroccan Spice Oil, if you’d rather leave it out. It’s marvelous with just the roasted cauliflower and cauliflower coulis.

The technique that I use here with the Cauliflower Coulis infuses the risotto with cauliflower flavor, rather than isolating the flavor to the cauliflower florets.

Risotto of Green Garlic, Cauliflower & Moroccan Spices

Pacific Northwest farmers markets are overflowing with cauliflower and green garlic in March. Seeing them nestled next to each other at the market last week was the impetus for this riff on risotto. Note that the cauliflower is roasted first to intensify its flavor.

Advance Prep   You can prepare Moroccan Spice Oil, Roasted Cauliflower, and Cauliflower Coulis a day ahead if desired.

Ingredient Note 3 medium stalks green garlic, white and pale green portions only, yields 1 cup sliced green garlic. Half is used for Cauliflower Coulis and half is used for Risotto.

Moroccan Spice Oil (makes ¼ cup)
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 cloves garlic, rough chopped (¼ ounce prepared)
1-inch knob fresh ginger, rough chopped (½ ounce prepared)
¼ cup cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil

Roasted Cauliflower
1 head cauliflower, trimmed and divided into small florets (10 ounces prepared or about 3 cups; reserve 1 cup for risotto)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Cauliflower Coulis
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ cup sliced white and pale green portions only green garlic, sliced
2 cups (5 ounces) roasted, chopped cauliflower, from above
¾ cup cream
fine sea salt, to taste

Stock
10 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Risotto
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup sliced white and pale green portions only green garlic, sliced
2 cups (16 ounces) Italian Carnaroli or Arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine, optional
4-6 cups reduced chicken or vegetable stock, from above
Cauliflower Coulis, from above
1 cup roasted cauliflower florets, from above
fine sea salt, to taste
freshly ground white pepper, to taste
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan

Garnish
½ cup creamy Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan

1. To prepare Moroccan Spice Oil, in a small sauté pan set over medium heat, sauté cumin seeds for a minute or so, until they release a noticeable aroma. Remove from heat and grind in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Add to a mini processor along with turmeric, salt, garlic, ginger, turmeric, and olive oil. Process until smooth and well combined. Strain through a fine sieve into a small container, pressing hard against solids in the strainer. Discard the roughage (about 1 tablespoon) left in sieve. Reserve strained oil.
2. To roast cauliflower, arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350ºF. Coat an edged baking pan with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, toss cauliflower florets with olive oil, and then arrange on prepared baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes. They should be only lightly browned here and there. (Ten ounces cauliflower weighs about 6 ounces after roasting.)
3. To make cauliflower coulis, in a medium sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon butter and sauté 2 cloves garlic until well softened but not browned.
4. Add 2 cups (5 ounces) roasted, chopped cauliflower, and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add ¾ cup cream, and stir to combine. Remove from heat.
5. In a processor fitted with the steel knife, puree the coulis as smoothly as possible.
6. Pour the coulis into a triple mesh sieve set over a mixing bowl and force the liquid through the mesh using the back of a large spoon or a wooden pestle. Discard the roughage left in the sieve. Season the coulis to taste with salt. Reserve.
7. To reduce stock, put stock into a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Reduce to 6 cups of stock. Remove from heat and reserve.
8. To make risotto, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a heavy-bottomed casserole or large sauté pan. Add green garlic, and sauté over medium heat until tender but not browned.
9. Add rice and stir to coat each grain with butter.
10. Over medium heat, add wine, if using, and cook, stirring continuously, until nearly all liquid has evaporated.
11. Begin adding stock, ½ cup at a time, letting it nearly evaporate before adding more. The liquid should be simmering gently, not vigorously.
12. At about the 15 minute mark, when rice is becoming tender but still quite firm at the center, begin adding cauliflower coulis, ½ cup at a time. Begin stirring continuously now, to encourage the rice to release some of its starch into the sauce.
13. Five minutes before risotto is done, add 1 cup reserved cauliflower florets, and stir in.
14. In a perfect world, the rice will be just right—tender but toothsome—as you add the last drop of coulis. However, if this is not the case, simply add more stock until the correct consistency is achieved. I prefer risotto to be on the saucy side, but if you wish, you can decrease the amount of liquid by cooking a minute or two longer. The risotto should be fully cooked–tender with some bite–in 20-30 minutes.
15. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
16. Quickly stir in ¼ cup finely grated parmesan.
17. Immediately ladle the risotto into warm serving bowls. For each serving, stir in  Greek yogurt, drizzle Moroccan Spice Oil over the top, and garnish with parsley and additional parmesan.

Serves 4-6.

More Risottos from LunaCafe

• Farro, Wild Mush­room, Fin­ger­ling Potato & Kale Risotto (Far­rotto)
• Risotto of Sweet Corn with Corn Coulis, Zucchini, Chevre & Green Corn Oil

More Cauliflower Dishes from LunaCafe

• Cauliflower | Romanesco Recipe Category

Cookin’ with Gas (inspiration from around the web)

• Beyond Arborio: Discovering the ‘Other’ Risotto Rices | Fine Cooking
• Carnaroli: The Best Rice for Risotto | Hub Pages
• Heart of Heart Risotto | Cook Italy
• Rice for Risotto: Carnaroli and Vialone Nano | Eatmania
• Risotto Aggrandized | New York Times
• Risotto Revelation: Three Divergent Italian Rices are Challenging the Reign of Arborio | SFGate
• Risotto: Elegant Comfort Food | Fine Cooking
• Two Ways to Use Up Leftover Risotto: Riso al Salto and Arancini di Rosa | Coconut & Lime
• Using Leftover Risotto to Make Fritters | Food Endeavors of the Blue Apocalypse

 

Copyright 2015 Susan S. Bradley. All rights reserved.