In the basement, mixing up the medicine

[venta]

I am currently the proud owner of a slow cooker, a Christmas present from my parents. As is the way of these things, every ingredient currently looks to me like something that would benefit from eight hours on a very low heat. One of the exciting uses to which the slow cooker has been put is making stock from the carcass of Sunday's roast chicken.

Armed with yummy chicken stock, some left over chicken, and an accidental excess of arborio rice, I leapt to the logical conclusion and we made risotto (not, you'll be pleased to hear, in the slow cooker).

It came out... ok. But no more than ok. It was suspiciously bland, and clearly needed something.

The trouble is, I'm not sure quite what the risotto needed.

It contained the following, in approximately this order:

Butter, finely chopped garlic, black pepper, arborio rice, white wine, chicken stock, cooked chicken, mushrooms, cream. It had grated cheese on the top (it was Cotherstone cheese, which I'm aware is not a traditional choice, but is what was in the fridge. I don't usually stir in cream, either, but there was some that needed using up).

Now, normally when I make risotto it's entirely vegetarian, and has everything in it. However, having made a rather nice butternut squash risotto a few weeks back (following a recipe, would you believe) I realised that maybe risottos (risotti?) can work in a more minimalist style. The recipe above doesn't even have onions in, and I was barely aware that you could cook a meal without onions.

Risotti I have cooked in the past have always featured onions (or leeks at a bare minimum) and I do actually wonder if that was what this one needed. The rice was nicely cooked, the texture was good, all the omens were propitious... but the taste was bland in the extreme.

I really thought that combination of ingredients ought to work. I was hoping for "delicate". Can any of you competent cooking types spot the obvious flaw in the plan?

Comments

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

No onion? [grin]

I don't really cook, but I do eat. [grin]

Hmmm, where's cookwitch and valkyriekaren where I need culinary advice.

[cookwitch.livejournal.com]

You called?

If it is made with home made stock, I'd definitely add salt.
Try to get some smoked sea salt if you can as that adds a good tang, or just Plain Maldon Sea Salt. Home made stock can be flavourful, but bland at the same time. No, I don't get it either.

I don't always add onions to my risotto, but if I don't, I add extra salt and parmesan. Or use half stock and half white wine as the cooking liquid.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Or use half stock and half white wine as the cooking liquid.

That's interesting... it has been said before that it's inadvisable to drive after eating a risotto I've cooked. Having recently observed that most risotto recipes say something like "two tablespoons white wine" I've been trying to moderate a little.

Sounds like moderation might have been the wrong course!

Thanks for the advice.

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

I don't always add onions to my risotto, but if I don't, I add extra salt and parmesan.

IAWTC; this is also my practice. And celery salt is good if you're using a stock that doesn't have celery in it.