Riso Alla Fabio

When cooking riso with Fabio, the contrast of his ?splish of this and splash of that? approach to seasoning and the precision of the cooking method was fantastic.  His theory was that as long as the yin and yang of the dish is satisfied then it will taste sensational.  In this risotto dish the yin - the softened grains of rice - matched with the yang - the bottom layer of rice grains which are purposely burnt - create a lovely crunch-verses-soft sensation. Additionally lemon juice is used to oppose the creamy cumin flavour.



Also, as long as you use the ratio of 1 part rice to 1.25 part water, this rice can be chopped changed and infused with whatever seasonings you choose.  I?d like to try ground coriander seeds, salt and ginger.  Or fresh chilli and ground fennel.
Rice
3 cups rice
3.75 cups water
Salt (approx 2tsp.)
Cumin (approx 3tsp.)
½ lemon (or orange if you?d prefer)
Pumpkin Accompaniment
1 medium pumpkin
2 onions
1 large red chilli
3 tsp. ginger
Thyme (2 tsp.)

In a large pot combine rice, water, salt and cumin and mix well before putting on maximum heat with the lid tight (pressure cooker if possible but this is not essential).  Once the dish is boiling and steaming, the heat goes on minimum for 9 minutes then maximum again for 1 minute.  Importantly the lid is not lifted nor is the dish stirred.  Heat goes off and dish is left to sit for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile?

Cook off roughly chopped onions until tender, add Chilli and Ginger (finely chopped) then a couple of minutes later add the pumpkin and about ½ cup water.  Cover and cook until tender, stirring and adding more water if needed. Towards the end use the stirrer to create a smooth-ish consistency.  Take off the heat and add the thyme.

Serve on a large plate or large shallow bowl (on which the lemon or orange is squeezed beforehand) with rice in a donut shape and the pumpkin mixture both in the centre and in a ring around the rice.

photography and recipe inspiration from pixel chicken sydney and Fabio Granziano respectively.