il risotto perfetto

Il Risotto Perfetto (with Eggplant and Zucchini)

Provenance: The Best Recipe Book, by the editors of Cook's Illustrated
History: When my roommate and I moved to Italy, this was one of the first recipes we tried. Neither of us thought we liked risotto. It turns out we were very, very wrong. Now one of our favorite comfort foods.

Recipe:
Ingredients:
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cups Arborio rice
- salt
- 5 cups broth
- 1/2 cups dry white wine (it can even be sparkling, as it turns out.)
- 1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese
- 1 large eggplant or 2 smaller eggplants
- 2 medium-sized zucchini

Directions:
- Slice eggplant and zucchini thinly, salt, and place between layers of paper towel for 15-20 minutes to extract excess moisture. Change paper towels when saturated.
- Heat olive oil in large skillet, add eggplant and zucchini.
- Sauté until tender. Set aside.
- Heat oil in heavy pot. Add onions, sauté, stirring occasionally, until onions soften--3-5 minutes.
- Stir in rice and salt to taste. Add 3 cups broth and bring to boil, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce heat to simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until pan bottom is dry when rice is pulled back with spoon--8-10 minutes.
- Add wine, stirring frequently until absorbed.
- Add 1/2 cup broth at a time, stirring constantly, until each addition is absorbed.
- Cook until rice is creamy but still firm in center (add water in 1/2 cup increments if broth runs out)--10-12 minutes.
- Stir in cheese and eggplant/zucchini mix. Serve.

Comments: In the The Best Recipe Book, this recipe was originally listed as containing asparagus (1/2 lb) and wild mushrooms (4 oz), but it was September and there was no asparagus to be found, so we changed it and liked it so much that we actually haven't gotten around to trying the recipe in its original form. We decided that the most important thing when choosing the vegetable is to have one green vegetable and one "meaty" vegetable. But regardless, the technique--particularly the use of the wine and broth instead of water to boil the rice in, and sautéeing the onions first in the pot that it all gets cooked in--will serve you well in any risotto.