I've come to love risotto and to think of it as an easy, one-pot -- OK, technically two -- weeknight dinner. I'm not entirely sure how this happened and I know that many will disagree with me. But hear me out, yes, it's more labor intensive than salad, but there is a similarity for me. Lots of chopping to start and a concern that quantities come together correctly. As Julia Sherman said, "For a dish to be a legitimate salad, the total must be greater than the sum of its parts. Meaning, by virtue of presenting an intentional group of disparate ingredients together (yes, most often in the presence of some unifying dressing), they should create a new and unique flavor/texture experience, one that re-frames and enhances the ingredients themselves." I would argue, the same principle is true for a risotto.
None of this addresses the fact that making risotto takes a lot longer than making a salad. However, twice in the last week, I have made risotto in my Instant Pot and it seriously take 4 minutes. Well, a little longer as it has to come up to pressure, and then, I find that there is usually about 1 minute of stirring necessary at the end.
Without further ado, Instant Pot Double Pea (or Asparagus) Risotto made, approx. 5 minutes prep time, and 10 minutes cooking time:
Ingredients:
2 TBS Butter
2 TBS Olive oil
3 shallots, finely chopped
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon of red chili flakes
1 teaspoon salt
fresh pepper
3 1/2-4 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
10 ounces English peas
10 ounces Sugar Snap Peas, ends trimmed, strings removed or 16 ounces of Asparagus, roughly chopped
1/3-1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt, pepper, lemon to taste
First, mis en place really helps for risotto: Chop the shallots, zest the lemon, measure the red pepper flakes; pick through the English peas, trim the stems and strings off of the snap peas; and measure the rice
Second, using the sauté function on the Instant Pot, sautee the shallots, lemon zest, and chili flakes in the olive oil over medium heat, approx 6-8 minutes, until they are translucent and fragrant, salt and pepper
Third, per Bon Appetite, add ½ cup stock and cook, stirring often, until water evaporates and onion is sizzling in oil and completely tender, about 5 minutes. (Adding the water allows the onion to cook gently and thoroughly without taking on any color.)
Fourth, again, per Bon Appetite, add rice and stir well to coat with oil and cook, stirring constantly, until grains of rice are translucent around the edges and they make a glassy clattering sound when they hit the sides and bottom of Instant Pot, approx 5 minutes
Fifth, and here is where it gets fun: Pour the stock into the Instant Pot, put the lid on and set to cook for four minutes on high pressure
Sixth, manually release the pressure and, voila
Seventh, add the English Peas and Sugar Snap Peas (or the Asparagus) and put the lid back on the Instant Pot and close it to seal; allow it to sit for 2-3 minutes so that the Peas or Asparagus can steam
Finally, assess the toothiness of the Peas and Asparagus and the soupiness of the risotto: If the Peas and Asparagus are too crunchy and the risotto is too soupy, per Mark Bittman, turn on the sauté function, and stir vigorously for 1 to 4 minutes and then stir in the Parmesan and serve garnished with and a wedge of lemon
If the Peas and Asparagus are al dente and the risotto has thickened, stir in the Parmesan and serve garnished with a wedge of lemon
Serves six as a side and four as a main.