Zucchini and Basil Risotto

I’ve always been more a baker than a cook. Baking is about precision. When you’re cooking, you can just rely on your senses, and “feel” what and how much you want to put in your meal. It’s very dependant on your mood.

I was not able to do that. I needed to measure, to go through all steps. Impro? Not for me… I was following the recipe to the letter. And I was the kind of teenager who tells her mother off because she’s not doing exactly what’s written. My poor mum. It did not once occurred to me that she was doing her way for years and that it worked just as fine… Well, I guess you have to suffer when you have a teenage daughter!

But now I also have the opportunity to cook. By spending more time in the kitchen, I gained some confidence. And even though I’m still more baking than cooking, I do enjoy both visions. I admit that I rarely cook for myself. For me, cooking is about generosity, wanting to please the other. So if there’s nobody to share it with, I just don’t see the point. But last night, I just wanted to please me. And what I needed for that was some rice, and some zucchini. I prepared it as a risotto, and I found the result actually good. So I hope you’ll enjoy it too.

Zucchini and basil risotto
For 6 appetizers / 4 entrees1 onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 Tbsp oil
2 medium zucchini, about 1 pound
2/3 cup Arborio rice
¼ cup dry white wine
2 ½ cup chicken broth
1/8 cup chopped basil
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add rice and zucchini; stir 1 minute. Add wine and stir until almost all liquid is absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup hot broth. Simmer until broth is almost absorbed, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Add more broth, 1/2 cup at a time, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding next and stirring often, until rice is tender and mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes longer. Stir in cheese. Transfer to large bowl, sprinkle with basil, and serve.

Risotto aux courgettes et basilic
Pour 6 entrées / 4 plats principaux
1 cuillère à soupe d’huile
1 oignon émincé
2 courgettes de taille moyenne, environ 450g
100g de riz rond ou Arborio
5 cl de vin blanc sec
½ litre de bouillon de poule (2 cubes)
25g de parmesan râpé
Basilic
Chauffez l'huile dans une grande casserole à température moyenne. Ajoutez l'oignon et faites le rissoler environ 3 minutes. Ajoutez le riz et la courgette ; remuez 1 minute. Ajoutez le vin et remuez jusqu'à ce que presque tout le liquide soit absorbé, environ 1 minute. Ajoutez une louche de bouillon chaud. Faites cuire jusqu'à ce que le bouillon soit presque absorbé, en remuant souvent, environ 4 minutes. Ajoutez plus de bouillon, une louche à la fois, en permettant à chaque addition d'être absorbée avant d’en rajouter tout en remuant souvent, jusqu'à ce que le riz soit tendre et le mélange crémeux, environ 20 minutes. Ajoutez le fromage et le basilic, et servez.