Got leftover risotto? You’re halfway to greatness
Recipe #161: risotto al salto
Are you a proper 33-year-old?
By the time you’re 33 you should have five pyjama bottoms that you’ve owned for 15 years, one really good water bottle that keeps water cold for like 24 hours, one running cap you’ve used twice, and an ability to use up leftover food.
Enter this month’s recipe for risotto al salto - a sort of crispy rice pancake that hails from Milan and makes use of leftover risotto. It’s a bit like the ‘tahdig’ of Persian rice or ‘socarrat’ of paella - the well-done layer of rice that needily clings to the bottom of the pan.
The dish is a nod to next week’s Shrove Tuesday: ’salto’ means jump and refers to the flipping of the ‘pancake’ that’s required halfway through the cooking process. Tips on how not to fcuk the flip below.
This week’s album: Hallucinating Love by Maribou State
A very recent release that was the electronic duo’s first album in seven years. They teased it with a preceding LP which basically showcased all the best tracks. One review said they have a ‘soul-tinged approach to electronic music’ which makes it very approachable for such a distinctive sound. The whole album is definitely worth a listen but particular mentions go to ‘All I Need’, ‘Otherside’, ‘Bloom’ and ‘Blackoak’.
The risotto rescue mission
This dish most commonly uses up leftover risotto alla Milanese - a risotto that’s made with meat stock, flavoured with saffron, and finished with butter and bone marrow. This is what I’m going to use - partly because I struggle to stray from tradition, partly because risotto alla Milanese is one of my favourite dishes ever and I was craving it.
That said, you can use whatever risotto you’ve made, have leftover, and want to rescue from throwing in the bin.
When you do make risotto next, make a bit extra, then spread your leftovers onto a plate and chill overnight in the fridge. That bit is important as you have to make this dish with chilled rice. Trying to make a risotto and then immediately turning it into this dish just won’t work. Much like trying to make egg-fried rice with just-cooked rice. It’s never going to work so just don’t bother.
This dish is a much better way to use-up leftover risotto, as reheating it in a pan with more liquid would result in it being overcooked (if you let them shenan once, they’ll shenanigan). Plus, it only takes about 10 mins to bring together so it’s almost like a night-off cooking. All you need to do is heat up a frying pan, add some butter, tip your rice in, pat it down, flip it, and you’re done.
What you need
The below serves 4. It takes 2 mins to prep and 15 minutes to cook.
500g leftover risotto (chilled overnight)
4 tbsps butter
1 tbsp olive oil
50g parmesan
Ready, steady, cook
1. Add a non-stick frying pan to a medium-high heat. Once hot, add in half the butter and half a tablespoon of the oil. Leave to heat until foamy. Make sure the pan is completely covered with butter and then add in the leftover rice. Use a spatula to pat it down and form into a circular shape.
2. Leave to cook on a medium-high heat for 5-6 mins, continuing to pat down the rice. The more compact it is, the easier it will be to flip it.
Be patient and leave on a medium-high heat to achieve a wonderful golden brown. You want to control the heat so that it browns nicely without burning (a very high heat will cause it to burn). As you start to notice the edges browning, you can carefully lift it up to see how it is doing and then gently agitate the pan to make sure it's moving freely.
3. Lightly grease a dinner plate or flat tray with the rest of the olive oil. Place the oiled side over the frying pan and use a tea towel to hold it in place. Now carefully flip the two over together. To avoid any disasters, apply pressure constantly while flipping.
4. Return the pan to the heat and add in the remaining butter. Carefully slide the rice back into the pan and cook for another 5-6 mins.
5. Once the other side is browned nicely, slide it out onto a plate. Grate over plenty of parmesan. Serve.
Final thought
In need of some risotto inspiration? Or ‘rispo’ as some 14-year-old on TikTok probably calls it. Try these…
Enjoy and speak again next week,
Fraser