Sicilian Orange, Black, Green and Yellow Risotto

Risottu Quattru Culura

Agrigento 1964

I remember having a family gathering at my uncle?s house with several families celebrating together. Please don?t ask what we were celebrating, because there were so many reasons to celebrate, that after a while they all  become as one big continuous celebration. My dad and his family and his brother Giurlannu with his family, plus some of his children that were already married with children, were present at that dinner, that night, an estimated  30 to 35 people . These get togethers took place very often, and as I remember them, they would be a feast to the tummy.

My uncle loved food and cooking was one of his passions. Our visits to my ziu Girlannu’s house meant to me an opportunity  to try new delicacies. For me, many of the dishes were yet to be explored, I was only maybe 6 years old, and my experience of food was limited to my age.

My little sister was just born and my mom was occupied with taking care of her needs. My parents were always too busy with the commotion at parties and  I felt I had a measure of freedom while they paid little attention to me.  Lots of kids, made the house lively, cousins and children of cousins, many of whom were my age, or close enough to my age. There would be enough diversions for me to have a great time playing with them, or arguing, which ever was needed at the moment.

At my uncle’s house,  three course meals were too small a number, but rather he would serve a parade of dishes. Dinners that were served at 8PM, could last until the late hours of the night.

The menu always changed from occasion to occasion, but it always included several different vegetable presentations, baked pastas and fresh ones, game like birds that someone in the family had brought home from hunting,  fish that was caught fresh from another member of the family, and sometimes, dishes I had never tried before, like horse meat, or frog legs, eel or wild mushrooms and so on.  I wanted to try all of them, not miss the explosion of tastes inside my mouth. Even at a young age I was not afraid of food adventures.

I loved food! But that night the only thing I wanted to try most was the wild mushrooms, I knew it was precious rarity, but my parents prohibited me from trying them. Even though they loved ziu Giurlannu, they didn?t trust his mycology skills, not enough to trust it on their children. But needless to say it did not stop them from eating them. Talking about giving your child the wrong message.

Of course at that point I didn?t know why my parents did not want me to try them, but their actions spoke louder than their words, and as they ate they would make those hummm sounds, that reaffirmed to me, I could not miss that dish. The smell of the mushrooms was so aromatic, and the prohibition of eating them, drew me even more to want to try them. So, at first I argued as to why I couldn’t have them, but then I decided to draw little attention and wait.

Everyone was so busy talking, involved in heated discussions about food, babies, breast feeding, housework, business, new investments, old investments, clients and so on, no one was paying attention to little me, with big eyes as big as a vortex. So, while everyone was wrapped in conversation, my mom with my sister in her arms, everyone transporting another fork full of the delicious food into their mouths, I reach without being noticed and with my fingers I grab a couple of mushroom caps and shove them into my mouth. I chewed ever so slowly so as not to lose that earthy, fragrant taste, and made them linger there in my mouth so I could savor them, thinking it might be a long time before I could have them again. I didn?t understand why my parents had prohibited me from having them, but I didn?t trust their decision since they had, had their share of it. I figured  if it was good enough for them, it sure would be good enough for me.

No one ever noticed the change in me after I had a taste of those delicious  mushrooms. Oh don?t worry, I didn?t poison myself, but I fell in love with a new indulgence that would follow me the rest of my life. It  would become one of my favorite things to eat. Of course the fact that we did not have cultured mushrooms, made them ever so hard to get and that might have contributed to the fact that I longed for the next time I could sink my teeth into them again, so that when we finally had access to them more frequently I could think of a million ways to make them.

I love mushrooms in soups, in pasta, in patties, on pizza, paired with vegetables, sauteed by themselves, in risottos, on meat, over eggs, under eggs, even with green eggs and ham. I do love them here or there, I would love them anywhere,  and you should try them, try them, you should try them  and you?ll see.

In this dish I used Black Trumpet and Lobster Mushroom because of their color, and their particular taste, attributed to these types of mushrooms. The Black Trumpet of course is a beautiful mushroom that resembles a velvety frilly dress and has an intense buttery woodsy taste. While the Lobster has a more meaty texture and a seafood-like flavor. I found this to be a great taste combination, but equally important is the color composition which is appealing to the eye and makes this dish so beautiful. Without a doubt, our eyes taste it before our taste buds.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Leek cut in 1/4 inch rounds

1 Pinch Saffron

1/2 cup Dry Lobster Mushrooms

1/2 cup Dry Black Trumpet Mushrooms

12 0z Arborio Rice

4 cups of Chicken or vegetable stock ( you may use a bouillion if you prefer)

1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano

1 medium bunch of basil (about 1/2 cup chopped)

Directions

Inside a soup dish soak the mushrooms in 2 cups cold water, place another like size dish on top of the mushrooms to keep them submerged into water. Let them sit for  30-45 minutes. Strain through fine sieve or a paper towel

Reserve soaking liquid.

Chop mushrooms into large pieces

In a saute pan heat up the oil

Add the saffron

Toss the leek inside it and let it wilt

Add the mushrooms  and rice and stir well

Add the reserved liquid and stir

Lower heat to low and let it cook until almost all liquid is absorbed

Then add another 1 cup water, stir and let it cook again until almost absorbed

Repeat until all water is used.

Rice should be tender and creamy, but the grain should not break down.

Add the Parmigiano, mix it well

Add the basil, stir and serve

Serving Suggestions

Serve with Fresh Ground Pepper and extra Parmigiano at the table.

As a first course

As an accompaniment to a fish or meat dinner

Lunch or Dinner