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

Sorry but

[a-llusive.livejournal.com]

I'd just never make risotto in a slow cooker, it needs careful attention during cooking to keep the fluid level up and doesn't need slow cooking. Traditional Italian recipes I want to try use game stock and saffron. Good chicken stock as you used should have been OK, but cream can react badly to slow cooking - when doing a risotto I stick it in shortly before serving and that seems to help. I'd also have added either tons of saffron or some herbs - Summer Savoury or some Italian-themed blend.

Re: Sorry but

[exspelunca.livejournal.com]

Re-read original post - risotto wasn't made in slow cooker.

Re: Sorry but

[(Anonymous)]

Oops - brainskip. Thanks for pointing this out. Point about adding cream later stands - every time I've made risotto with chicken stock and added cream earlier its been not so good.