Originally from Italy, risotto is present in many countries’ cuisines. It is a savoury creamy rice dish cooked with broth and often enriched with vegetables, mushrooms, meat, chicken and even sea food. Let’s face it, there are dozens of recipes. But here is one special recipe. The recipe of Dalmatian style risotto with veal which is absolutely adored by Southern (well, and other) Croats.
It is cooked at home and ordered in restaurants, served to guests at receptions and weddings across all seasons, it is an all-time saviour when you need an easy and fulfilling meal for your family or a party of friends.
And oh my, how nice it is to observe a creamy steaming plateful of risotto and breathe in its captivating aroma after a long day at work or a day out at sea.
All the side talk aside, let me just note that cooking risotto is also very practical: the entire dish needs just one stew-pan, a knife and a couple of cutting boards. Got those? So, let’s hit it!
Ingredients for cca. 5 – 6 adult people:
- 800 gr. veal (shoulder or soft part of a veal hip),
- 300 gr. round grain rice (Arborio, Carnaroli, Vialone, etc),
- 1 l. beef / chicken / vegetable broth or hot water,
- 1 pc. onion,
- 1 pc. big carrot,
- 2 – 3 tbs. oil,
- 50 ml. peeled and pressed tomatoes (Pelate),
- 100 ml. dry white wine (optional),
- salt, pepper, ground red sweet pepper, a bit of Vegeta spices,
- 1-2 finely cut or pressed garlic cloves,
- finely chopped parsley,
- 30 gr. butter,
- ground Parmesan cheese.
- Peel the veggies. Chop the onion into small pieces and grate the carrot on the finer side of the grater.
- Cut the veal into 1×1 cm (or bigger if you like) cubes.
- Heat some oil in a pan. Stew the onion for 7 – 8 minutes on medium heat until its soft and transparent, then add the carrot and stew for a few more minutes.
- Add the meat into the pan and let it stew until its brown on all sides. Spice it with salt and pepper, sprinkle with other spices, too, and stir well.
- Now it is time to pour in the wine if you have prepared some. Stir until it has evaporated.
- Add enough broth to cover the meat, mix all well and leave it to cook on low heat for about an hour. After about 30 min of cooking add the tomatoes and the garlic and stir well. Check on the meat from time to time to make sure there is enough liquid in the pan.
- Finally, time has come for the rice. Don’t wash it. Scatter dry rice over the cooking meat and stir it on medium – high heat until the rice becomes kind of glassy and sticky. Then add more broth (but not too much), lower down the heat and continue cooking.
- Add more broth or water from time to time and stir the entire thing. Continue for another 15 – 20 min.
- The dish is ready when the rice is aldente (cooked just enough, with a tint of hardness to it) and there is still enough creamy liquid inside. Turn off the heat, throw in the butter, sprinkle with parsley and stir.
- Finally add some Parmesan to your taste.
Leave the dish to rest for a few minutes before serving it with some green salad or pickles. Mmm, yum!
Bon appetite!