Recipe: Risotto Frittata

Technically, a breakfast food, I wound up serving this for dinner as a side dish with chicken. It reminded me of a Southwestern omelet without meat. It was delicious. The egg added a dynamic to the dish that was very complimentary. The risotto was also fantastic. I highly recommend this dish.

Pros: Delicious. The product is amazing (in fact, you can tell by the picture, I didn't actually get a photo before me and my family ate the dish, hahaha). It was also fun to make.

Cons: LOTS of clean up. It also takes a very long time to make too. Also, the egg was a bit of a hassle. The recipe says to just pour the egg on top and let it sit for a couple of minutes. My suggestion is to stir it through the risotto. It took much longer than a couple of minutes to cook the egg on top and as a result the risotto started to burn on the bottom.

I would serve this for a small brunch. I think it would be great for the holidays, as well.

Here's the recipe (from Appetizers, Finger Foods, Buffets, and Parties, 2009)

Risotto Frittata

2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 large red (bell) pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
3/4 cup risotto rice
1 2/3-2 cups simmering vegetable stock
2-3 tbsp butter
2 1/2 cups button (white) mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
6-8 eggs
salt and ground black pepper

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook over a gentle heat, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes, until the onion begins to soften but does not brown. Add the pepper and cook, stirring frequently, for 4-5 minutes, until softened.

Stir in the rice and cook gently for 2-3 minute, stirring constantly, until the grains are evenly coated with oil.

Add a quarter of the vegetable stock and season with a little salt and pepper. Stir over a low heat until the stock has been completely absorbed. Continue to add more stock, a little at a time, allowing the rice to absorb the liquid completely before adding more. Continue cooking and adding the stock in this way, stirring constantly, until the rice is al dente. This will take about 20 minutes.

In a separate small pan, heat a little of the remaining oil and some of the butter. Add the mushrooms and cook quickly over a medium heat until golden. Transfer to a plate.

When the rice is tender, remove from the heat and stir in the cooked mushrooms and the Parmesan cheese.

Beat the eggs together with 8 tsp cold water and season well with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining oil and butter in an omelette pan and add the risotto mixture. Spread the mixture out in the pan, then immediately add the beaten eggs, tilting the pan so that the omelette cooks evenly. Cook over a moderately high heat for 1-2 minutes, then transfer to a warmed plate and serve in wedges.

*My tip: When having the rice absorb the stock, you can cover the pan for a minute or so ONLY (less is preferable). Stir frequently. This helps the rice soak in the stock faster in my opinion.

Recipe Grade: B (due to timing inaccuracies)