Risottos and bruschetta

After a previous edition in New York, Cristina Bowerman for the first time gets on the stage in Chicago. She’s beaming: «I found extraordinary ingredients here, and very representative of what I wanted to make». After Beck’s and Zimmermann’s pasta, risotto is under the spotlight and the chef prepares it in two versions, and orthodox and an unorthodox one. The first, Carnaroli creamed with Grana Padano, with Villa Manodori balsamic vinegar and black truffle, is a summary of how this American-Apulian woman working in Rome (Glass Hostaria) conceives this dish.

First of all, one needs to point that «Risotto is a technique, not a recipe», a delicate process with tactics you need to follow strictly. So let’s note down that «The broth must be poured slowly: the ideal broth/rice ratio is 1.4 litres per 1 kg». Then: «You should never stir it until half the cooking and even in the second half you shouldn’t stir too much as you could spoil the grains: proceed delicately». «To let it better evaporate, the pan must be as large as possible». Wood or metal spoon? «It makes no difference: risotto is not sensitive to the temperature of the ladle». From theory to tasting, which gets the audience in ecstasy.

The second dish is Quinoa risotto with crustaceans with parsley coulis. «I’ve been using quinoa for many years», says Cristina, «first of all because I like its flavour». But the choice of making this plant as in a risotto is first of all for the safety of celiacs: «I’ve always wanted to think of those who cannot eat certain foods, trying to keep the exact same flavours. To cook my quinoa in 3 colours I use the same technique as in risotto». How do you add the starch at the end? «I add a slurry, a fluid mix of water and starch, which I prepare first, on the side». This way, with a crustacean bisque and a parsley coulis we’ll have a colourful and delicious risotto, yet gluten free.

Milanese Giuseppe Tentori, the second speaker in the last lesson of Identità overseas, was charmed by the States when he was only 19, 21 years ago. He was cooking at Rampina when an American colleague found him a job in the pasta station in his restaurant in Illinois. Since then, it’s been a crescendo in stars and stripes: Metropolitan in Salt Lake City, beside the great Charlie Trotter in Chicago for 9 years, executive chef at Boka and in 2011, the opening of GT Fish & Oyster, a very popular establishment serving traditional fish with influences from all around, only 4 blocks from Eataly Chicago.

His recipe includes a global pirouette with bruschetta: «I’ve always loved this recipe. This is 50% Italian and 50% a personalised version with American prawns («I love them very much »), French baguette, pistachio, coriander, lime and grapefruit and avocado, the latter work very well together». The prawns are grilled for 30 seconds on each side. You then squeeze a little fresh lime juice and a pinch of salt. You spread the cream of avocado on the grilled baguette. You then place two prawns on it. You add a slice of grapefruit and a touch of pistachio on each bruschetta. Garnish with coriander and voilà, the curtain falls on Identità Chicago. See you next year.