Venison Part II: tenderloin with porcini mushroom risotto

I wanted to post the second part of my venison adventure so that you would see that it wasn't just a blip on the radar. I have talked to many people who say that venison tastes "gamey" or strange, or that they just were not impressed.

I, for one, did not have that experience as you saw from the first venison post, and this dish confirms that. One more for the buck. Or for us, as the case may be.

I decided with the tenderloin to make the most of its deep, natural flavors and serve it with a risotto that was just as rich. This complementary richness of flavor would be the crowning glory of my dish.



I love the way the meat looks raw and crimson-colored, but before you accuse me of being "blood-thirsty" and "gross," just let me say that there is nothing wrong with liking the look of good, ultra-fresh animal meat. On the contrary, it is a stance that many people can relate to when it comes to the fresh, glistening look of sushi-grade fish. That's a dead animal too, lest we forget.

But the meat here tastes as great as it looks and the appearance of meat in its raw form is just as important as the cooked form. If it doesn't look good, don't buy it --rule number one for me. And, if you have a healthy respect for the food you prepare, you should be able to admire its natural beauty. So, I have a clean conscience. It's clean also because I know that this deer was killed by someone I know and it was given to us as a gesture of sharing. That sharing between the animal and its predator and between the hunter and us is what the natural world is all about. I surprise even myself here.



Anyway, I had some risotto as well as some dried porcini mushrooms in the cupboard so I soaked the mushrooms in about 1/3 cup of warm water while the meat was marinated with olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh thyme from my still productive herb garden. This soaking/marinading lasted about 30 minutes. (* Don't throw out the mushroom water! it will come in handy for the sauce).

The combination of fresh thyme, mushrooms and a sauce based on dijon mustard was just the thing to bring out the flavor of the venison. It was pretty easy to do as well.

I made the risotto as usual, with white wine and broth, parmesan cheese and butter, stirring for about 20 minutes. When it was ready, I quickly seared the meat in olive oil (some of the pieces were cut too small but the larger ones were cooked perfectly. As I said before, cooking venison is tricky and it can be ruined easily! Lesson learned: cut pieces that are uniform in size and not too small that they'll cook too fast).

I quickly deglazed the crispy meat bits left in the skillet with white wine and a mixture of the mushroom water and about 2 tsp. of good dijon mustard. I let that liquid cook down for a minute until it was thick and poured it over the meat which rested on top of the risotto.

We enjoyed this delicious venison dish with a gorgeous Cotes du Rhone Domain Catherine le Goeuil hand-selected for us by our friend Will at Woodland Wine Merchant. It was a little bit of a splurge for a weeknight, but the venison merited such a treat. And what a marriage made in Heaven it was.

Thank you again, my deer. We loved you.

Mushroom Barley "Risotto"

It's true, I have not posted in a few days. This is because I have been "cleansing," i.e., taking a break, exercising some much-needed moderation after an indulgent few days in Atlanta and in preparation for a decadent Bay area trip coming up soon. Every once in a while it's a good thing to lay off the desserts, the pasta and the heavy food. It's not fun. But it's a small price to pay and it makes the return to real food that much more enjoyable.

This week I have been juicing fresh fruits and vegetables, eating whole grains in small quantities and only steamed vegetables for dinner. I eliminated coffee and alcohol, sugar, dairy and meat. Needless to say, I feel great and have lots of energy. But I am in fear of being too virtuous to the point of being boring. That's a preoccupation of mine. I don't like to be too good. It cramps my style.

I will, however, continue to take a break from some things that I tend to over-indulge in, like coffee and sweets. But I had to get back to cooking! I missed it terribly. Juicing is all well and good and much can be said about the beneficial nutrients in pure carrot, beet, kale and apples in the form of juice. But too much purity can be a bad thing. It can make you weird and edgy. And cause serious lapses in judgement. But I digress.

My firt meal back was a good balance between tasty and healthy: mushroom and barley "risotto." I am not typically a fan of healthy substitutions. I would rather eat small amounts of the real thing and load up on vegetables in lieu of meat-centered meals. Whole wheat pastas, for example, have never really appealed to me. I prefer the real thing, homemade and fresh if possible.

But I thought, for this week I could give those alternatives a try and see what happens. Thus, the barley risotto. And, actually, it had a nuttier, full-flavored intensity that matched the creamier, arborio rice version. I also used less butter, less cheese and a mushroom broth I had in the fridge from something I had made a little while ago. That, combined with the woodsy flavor of shitake mushrooms elevated this risotto from the realm of hippy-dippy health food to a truly delicious dish.

Mushroom Barley Risotto (adapted from that little book Joy of Cooking)

2 T butter
1 T olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 T garlic paste or finely minced garlic
8 oz of shitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps chopped
1 cup pearl barley
2/3 cup of dry white wine
4-5 cups broth
parsely and parmesan cheese as garnish

Heat oil and butter, add onion and cook a few minutes, then add the mushrooms until soft



Add garlic, barley,, wine, salt and pepper and cook until liquid is evaporated



(broth should be simmering in a pot alongside your risotto)
Once dry, add broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring and repeat until the barley is cooked (about 45-50 min)

When finished, let the risotto sit for a couple of minutes so the flavors blend. Serve with fresh parmesan and parsley. And tell yourself how virtuous and good you are while eating...

Risotto ai funghi

There is something so warm and comforting about a nice, creamy mushroom risotto when Winter is lingering. This is what I made when we decided to have an impromptu dinner this weekend with our neighbors, Nikki and Erwin from across the street.

She and I made a last-minute decision to run to the Turnip Truck for ingredients to make risotto as she wanted to learn how to make it and I wanted to cook. The guys apparently just wanted to drink.

We bought a mixture of shitake and crimini mushrooms, arborio rice, some chicken to serve after the risotto (I made a simple saltimbocca: prosciutto-wrapped chicken breasts with crispy sage) and we were off!




When I was in Florence in 1992, the first time I lived there, I took a cooking class with my good friend Tiffany Tiberti. That is where I first learned to make risotto. I still do it the same way, slowly and stirring constantly, adding butter and parmigiano at the very end to make it creamy, and it always turns out great.

I like the starchy, creamy rice with the woodsy taste of mushrooms. But in the Spring I sometimes make it with asparagus or artichokes, and once in a while I make the traditional 'risotto alla milanese' with saffron. You could make risotto with just about anything. I once saw an Italian chef make a gorgeous butternut squash risotto with a luscious, rich Aglianico wine. Mmmmmm.

Here is my recipe for mushroom risotto: (serves 4)

1 to 1.5 cups of short-grain arborio rice (carnaroli is a good variety but harder to find)
1/2 c of diced shallot or onion
3-4 c of chicken stock
2 T butter
lots of fresh grated parmigiano cheese
salt and pepper
a variety of mushrooms -shitake, crimini, oyster, porcini

Get your stock ready by simmering it and keep the heat on very low throughout the cooking of the risotto. In another pot sautee your shallots or onions in good quality olive oil. When softened, add your rice to toast it for a minute. As soon as you smell that flavor of toasted rice, add some stock to the pot, just enough to cover the rice and stir. Let it cook a good 20 minutes, stirring often if not constantly, adding stock every time the rice has almost absorbed all the liquid. The only way I can tell if it's done is by testing it. It should have a little firmness to it, but be cooked through and starchy. When the rice is close to being done, add your mushrooms and butter, salt and pepper, stir and cook a little more. When it seems done to you, stir in the parmigiano and turn off the heat.

*Be sure to let it sit for a couple of minutes before serving. You want to eat risotto right away, but letting it sit first allows it to become even creamier and gooey-er and the flavors of butter and cheese have a chance to meld with everything else. Serve with chopped fresh parsely, more fresh grated cheese, and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.