Risotto with Kale and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

There are foods out there that are legendary for being challenges. Dishes that have a number of very precise steps, dishes with chemical reactions, and if one step goes astray the whole dish collapses on you. This is why I've never attempted a soufflé. Or anything that requires a sheet of gelatin as an ingredient. For the longest time I have avoided a staple of Italian cooking, the risotto. 

Let's start with the fact that I just kinda suck at cooking rice. After the like 17th pot of either soggy or dry rice, I finally just broke down and bought a rice cooker. Risotto, however, is even more complicated. The scientific principal of regular rice is simple. Cook with water (or stock), let liquid absorb into rice, done. The types of rice used for risotto (most notably Arborio) has a kernel surrounded by a starch known as amlopectin. When this starch dissolves it makes the rices all soft and sticky, creating the creamy goodness risotto is known for. Sticking the rice into boiling water is not enough to create this effect, however. It can only be achieved by toasting the kernels, then stirring in liquid, a bit at a time, and letting it absorb before adding the next batch. This process can take anywhere between 20 and 30 minutes and you must stir constantly the entire time. I have been intimidated by the process, and more then that, I have been lazy. Man has invented stand mixers, hand mixers, and a variety of blenders all so we don't have to stir. "Stir constantly"... what is this, the 16th century?

A few nights ago I was crouched in front of my fridge, staring down a large bunch of kale. This leaf has been increasingly popping up in my culinary research, especially for a plant I was unable to identify two years ago. I needed a side dish for a leg of lamb, and I had purchased this large leafy bunch after being seduced by a sale last week. I took to the Google, and discovered the perfect recipe. It involved risotto. I may have walked away, except for one ingredient. Toasted pumpkin seeds. Suddenly this dish was seasonal. Suddenly I had a use for the bag of pumpkin seeds I bought for last week's recipe. I took a deep breath. Alright risotto. You win. It was time to face the challenge.

Not being experienced with this method, I turned to my Italian goddess, Marcella Hazan. Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking offers a solid overview of risotto, walking though the process of creating a flavor base of sauteed onion, toasting the rice, and the gradual adding of liquid, as well the details of cooking the rice al dente (which can end up slightly chalky) to cooking it until it is slightly softer. Risotto "should be tender, but still firm to the bite."

Risotto with Kale and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Adapted the tiniest bit from Gourmet magazine

Ingredients:

- 3 1/2cups low-sodium (or homemade) chicken broth

- 3 1/2 cups water

- 3/4 tsp plus 1/4 tsp sea salt

- 1/2 to 3/4 pounds green kale

- 1 1/4 cups finely chopped onion

- 1 Tbsp olive oil

- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, separated

- 3 garlic cloves, minced

- 1 1/2 cups (or 10 oz) Arborio rice

- 1/3 cup dry white wine

- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiana-Reggiano

- 1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds*

Directions:

Bring broth and water to boil with 3/4 teaspoon of salt in a 3 to 4 quart saucepan. Meanwhile, tear the stems and center ribs from kale and discard. Adding in batches stir kale into broth and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer kale with tongs to a large sieve set over a bowl and gently press on greens to extract more liquid. Add liquid in bowl to simmering broth and keep at a bare simmer, covered. Chop kale.

Cook onion in oil and 1 Tbsp butter with remaining 1/4 tsp salt in a wide 4 quart heavy pot, covered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened about 5 minutes. Increase heat to moderate, then add garlic and cook, uncovered, stirring, 1 minute. Add rice and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Add wine and simmer, stirring constantly, until absorbed. Stir in 1/2 cup simmering broth and simmer, stirring constantly, until broth is absorbed. Continue simmering and adding broth, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is creamy-looking and the consistency of a thick soup. Start tasting after 20 minutes, it may take more like 25 minutes to get it where you want it. There will most likely be leftover broth.

Stir in kale, cheese, and remaining Tbsp of butter and cook, stirring, until heated through and butter is incorporated, about 1 minute. Season risotto with sea salt and pepper. If you feel the risotto is too thick, you can thin with some of the remaining broth. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and serve.

* To toast pumpkin seeds: toss 1/2 cup of raw pumpkin seeds with about 1/2 tsp of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Spread on baking sheet and bake at 375°F for 4 to 5 minutes.

This dish was deep, creamy, and exactly how I wanted it to be. The crunchy seeds gave texture to this softer dish. One thing that surprised me was how amazing the risotto was the next day. I'm used to rice that dries out and loses all flavor when stored overnight, this retained its moisture so beautifully and the flavor was deepens with the extra time. I love a dish that produces leftovers for my weekday lunches. And not only can I add this dish to my repertoire, I have opened the door to all risottos, a whole spectrum of dishes I had previously shied away from. Pandora's box has been opened and it's evils have been released...and by evils, I mean deliciousness.  Maybe its time to reconsider my stance on the soufflé..

Braised Kale

Queens is not really the coolest borough to live in. It lacks the history and inherent "we're better then everyone" nature of Manhattan, and it lacks the cool rep of Brooklyn. To those paying attention, however, Queens is building some pride. We have cool bars like Dutch Kills, Studio Square and Sweet Afton. 5 Napkin Burger, a place that has gained a following in Hell's Kitchen, just opened a location in Astoria. With the lower rent and bigger spaces, it's becoming harder for those who look to create cool things to overlook Queens. Which is, in all its weirdness, how we ended up with a rooftop farm named Brooklyn Grange.

I think they wanted to be in Brooklyn, but really only the wide open spaces of a Long Island City, Queens factory has the space to sustain a farm on its roof. A full acre, high above Northern Boulevard. They raised money with a Kick Start campaign and had a bit of a problem with a stop work order when they neglected to file permits. I've been following them for months and finally they've started to harvest and sell veggies off a table in the lobby of the very building they are growing on top of. I stopped in Thursday to peruse the goods, and I found mostly what you'd expect at this time of summer, beets, scallions, and a hell of a lot of greens. Among the bounty I found my gaze drawn to a leaf I've been pondering for some time. I strode out of the lobby armed with bunch cut that very morning, it was time to try my hand at Kale.

Kale has been on my mind for months now, ever since Smitten Kitchen showed the world how to turn it into green chips in March. I've never worked with it, seeing as I'm generally intimidated by all greens that are not baby spinach. Kale was just so hardy--so big and intimidating; I didn't know what the hell to do with it. But really, kale is just a type of cabbage, so not so scary. Not that I've ever been such a huge fan of cabbage, since my mother stewed it up in her bastardized Irish food every March, but this year I've started learning about slaw and have warmed to the strange round veggie. If kale was part of this family, I knew I could handle it.

I thought about just making the Smitten Kitchen chips, but I didn't want a snack. I wanted a side dish, I really wanted to cook with this stuff. Searching around, I landed on a braised kale dish. Okay, here's the part where I admit I didn't read the whole recipe before I started working. If I had, I might have been more aware of the nearly two hours of cooking time and we wouldn't have had dinner at 10 pm. Also I might have noticed that the oven needs to be on for at least an hour of that time, during a heat wave. I give fair warning, unless you have a delightfully air-conditioned kitchen, this is not a summer dish. Or a weeknight dish.

If, however, you want to file this away for two months, you may find a Saturday when it's kinda chilly, and you want something warm, a little heavy, and packed with anti-oxidents and vitamin A. Not that I'm calling a veggie cooked in essentially bacon grease healthy. Just full of vitamins. Like the Flinstones. The recipe called for Tuscan Kale, but I actually don't know if that's what I had. It was one of those farmer's market type thing where the sign just said "Kale" and I didn't know there were different types until I got home and looked it up. It was flat leaf though, that much I know. Not curly. Apparently there's a difference.

Braised Kale with Pancetta and Caramelized Onions

Adapted from Gourmet magazine

Serves 2

Ingredients:

- 1 Bunch of Kale (Flat leaf kind. Which might be called Tuscan, Cavolo Nero, Lacinato, or Dinosaur)

- 1 teaspoon olive oil

- 3 oz of diced pancetta

- 1 fresh thyme sprig

- 1 dried bay leaf

- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

- 2 cloves of garlic, cut in half

- 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

- 1 to 2 cups of unsalted chicken stock

Equipment:

Parchment paper, kitchen string

Directions:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°. Cut a round of parchment paper to fit just inside a 3-4 quart heavy ovenproof pot, and set aside.

Boil salted water in a large pot and blanch kale for 2 minutes. Transfer to a colander and drain well.

Warm oil in the 3-4 quart pot over moderate heat, then add pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer pancetta with a slotted spoon to a plate and reserve, discarding all but 2 tablespoons of fat in pot.

Tie thyme and bay leaf together with kitchen string to make a bouquet garni. (To keep from crushing the dried bay leaf, I basically poked a hold in the leaf and pulled the string through it.) Add garni to pot along with onions and garlic. Cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until onions are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Return pancetta to pot then add butter and heat, stirring occasionally, until melted. Stir in kale and add enough stock to cover three fourths of kale. Increase heat to high and bring to a simmer. Cover kale directly with parchment round, then transfer pot to oven and braise, stirring once or twice, until kale is very tender, about 35-40 minutes.

Transfer pot to stovetop setting on medium heat and discard parchment. Boil mixture, stirring occasionally, until almost all of the liquid is evaporated but kale is still moist, about 25-30 minutes. Discard bouquet garni and garlic and season kale with salt and pepper.

It was a very heavy side dish, which was appropriate for the steak we put it next to but not necessarily for the season. It was damn tasty though, infused with all that cured pork and garlic. I've said it before: if your not sure how to make a veggie really tasty, covering it in cheese or cooking it with bacon will usually do the trick. Any vegan reading this is spitting at the screen right now. It was one of those dishes that I thought was even better warmed up the next day, so once September or October rolls around, I encourage you to enjoy this dish to the fullest!