Sanctuary from The Mad World
Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what's for lunch. - Orson Welles

I almost always associated risotto with mushroom. One lunch time in the school canteen, we were served broccoli risotto and it was really good.

I had leftover fresh corn which had been cut into kernels and microwaved. So I added some into the risotto to great result. The risotto was sweet from the vegetable, rich from the stock and parmesan, and textured from the corn kernels.

While making this risotto, I was wondering. The Japanese has invented rice cooker which can do basically everything but dance and we still make risotto in this medieval way?

The recipe is modified from Asparagus, mint, and lemon Risotto from Jamie Oliver’s Cook with Jamie.

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I spot this unique vegetables in the farmer’s market for a few summer now. Once I quartered them and roasted them. They tasted OK but the proper way to do it is actually to stuff them. This way, the sweet zucchini juice is pooled in the ‘bowl’ seasoning the stuffing.

I keep things simple with mushroom and butter. It was great served as vegetable side-dish for Alton Brown’s Roasted Butterflied Chicken. Next time, I’ll stuff this beautiful round things with meat and rice, Lebanese style.

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I was infatuated with Alton Brown of Good Eats recently so I hunt his videos on youtube. His method of roasting the chicken is so tempting I just had to make it. He butterflies the chicken, ensuring crispy skin on both sides. The meat is perfumed with herbs and spices as they are placed beneath the skin instead of the traditional skin-rub.

I modified the recipe a little as I wasn’t keen on leaving a lemon without its zest languishing on my counter top. But it is still lovely and fragrant and flavourful.

I will try this method to make a version of Ayam Taliwang, a grilled chicken special of Lombok. Chilies and spices underneath all that skin? I can feel the heat already!


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NIMMI Restaurant & Take Away
Josefstrasse 137
8005 Zürich

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Servings: for two

Nothing gives me more satisfaction that using leftovers for a good meal. Leftovers here is not only the bits and pieces of meals from the other night but it can also be a by-product of another dish. Imaginations fly and creativity flare. It’s fun.

This particular dish was ‘created’ when I had a pot of cooked barley. Asians prize barley for its cooling properties. Water from boiling barley and sweetened winter melon is a popular drink. Barley is also a common dessert, to be added into sweet mung-bean soup.

This time round, I combined the barley with grilled aubergines from the night before and canned corn. The texture really worked as soft aubergine and the crunchy corn was bridged by the chewy barley. I served it with yogurt-marinated, garam-masala flavoured, roasted chicken for a quick dinner.

 

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