My Favorite Risotto

George Hirsch April 18, 2025

Risotto is a traditional rice dish from Northern Italy, specifically Lombardy, Piedmont, and Veneto. It was introduced by Arabian people who dominated Sicily and parts of the Southern mainland in the late Middle Ages.

A mainstay of Milanese cuisine, Risotto is prepared using beef stock and saffron and served with Osso Bucco. When using rice to make a risotto, choose short-grained round or semi-round rice; the best rice for making risotto are Arborio, Vialone Nano, and Carnaroli.

I enjoyed many excellent risotto dishes. One of the most memorable was my cousin Mauro’s wife, Anna, in Rome. Anna’s risotto is made with pesto and is meant for basil lovers like myself. Her combination is culinary kismet, the perfume-rich tasty herb that coats every grain of rice. The other risotto master is my friend Chef Antonio Cereda, with his Porcini Risotto. Antonio, my friend from Northern Italy, is the Executive Chef on Princess Cruises. His Porcini Risotto marries the mellow earthiness of fungi with creamy velvety rice.

Shrimp Risotto with Asparagus

Makes 4 servings

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1 lb. uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 teaspoons dried basil

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Fresh ground black pepper

1 small onion, chopped

4 slices Pancetta, roughly chopped

1 cup Arborio rice

2- 2 1/2 cups chicken, vegetable or shrimp broth, hot

3 Tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained, and chopped

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 cup half & half

1 cup fresh asparagus tips or fresh baby spinach

Grated Parmesan cheese, to taste

Preheat a large saucepan to medium heat.

Season shrimp with basil, black pepper, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add shrimp to pan, sear on each side for one minute, and set aside. Do not fully cook.

Add 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil, onion, and pancetta in the same saucepan. Cook onion and pancetta for 4-5 minutes but do not brown. Add Arborio rice and cook, stirring occasionally for 2 minutes. Slowly add 1/2 cup broth, stirring constantly for 2 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Lower the temperature to a low, gentle simmer. Continue adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently every 4-5 minutes or as the rice absorbs all of the broth until rice becomes tender.

Return the seared shrimp to the pan with the risotto and cook for two to three minutes, until fully cooked or until they turn pink.

The cooking time and amount of broth will vary from 25 to 35 minutes, depending on the pan's exact temperature.

Add half and half, and fresh Parmesan cheese to taste. Optional: Serve topped with steamed asparagus tips or fresh baby spinach.

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Rock Shrimp

georgehirsch April 10, 2025

Rock shrimp, which tastes like lobster, is a member of the shrimp family, a deepwater cousin of the pink, brown, and white Gulf shrimp species. The crustacean gets its name from its rock-hard shell; almost all the harvest is sold peeled. And it can easily be mistaken for a miniature lobster tail with the same sweetness. The shrimp are generally small; the largest size is about 21 to 25 shrimp per pound. Rock shrimp are found in waters from Virginia to the Gulf of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and the coasts of California to the Caribbean. It is frozen year-round and fresh from July through November, peaking in September.

Crispy Rock Shrimp Salad w/Microgreens, Mini Heirloom Tomatoes, Pesto, and Garlic Aioli

Makes four appetizers

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1 cup mixed vine ripen mini heirloom tomatoes

1 cup of microgreens or mini beet tops

2 cups Rock Shrimp or mini Shrimp

For the marinade:

In a medium-size bowl or dish, add 1 cup of buttermilk or make your own: 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice with regular milk.

A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg, powdered garlic, red pepper flakes, dried basil, thyme, and fresh ground black pepper

Place shrimp in the marinade for 15 - 20 minutes.

Drain the shrimp well, but do not dry them. Add them to the corn flour mixture (1 cup of all-purpose flour mixed with 1 cup of extra-fine cornmeal).

Bread each piece of shrimp, coating well in the cornflour mixture.

Preheat a high-sided pan with olive oil to pan-fry. Add shrimp and turn each one when brown. Shrimp is cooked as soon as it browns. Shrimp will cook quickly.

Remove the shrimp with a wire strainer to drain. Do not place it on paper towels or in a crowd, as the shrimp will become soggy. Plate the shrimp with assorted cut tomatoes and microgreens. Finish the salad with a small amount of pesto and garlic aioli for dipping. Top the greens and tomatoes with olive oil.

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Beer Batter Cod

George Hirsch March 26, 2025

Waterside fish fry as seen on George Hirsch Lifestyle — Waterside fish fry as seen on *George Hirsch Lifestyle* WATCH on PBS PASSPORT

The carbonation in the beer makes the batter exceptionally airy and produces a crispy coating. Malt vinegar is a British favorite on fish and chips.

With its mild flavor, low-fat content, and dense, flaky white flesh, it's no wonder cod is one of the most common fish used for fish & chips, along with haddock and plaice.

George's Beer Batter Cod

makes 4 - 6 servings

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1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 eggs

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1 cup beer, a strong full-flavored Stout or India Pale Ale

vegetable oil for frying

2 pounds cod fillet, cut into serving pieces

Malt vinegar for serving. FOLLOW THE RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW

Combine 1 cup of the flour, sugar, baking powder, and black pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in the eggs and hot sauce. Slowly pour in the beer, constantly stirring, until the foam subsides and the batter is smooth. Let the batter rest for 15 to 20 minutes.

Heat 2 to 3 inches of oil to 370 degrees F. in a deep saucepan or deep-fat fryer.

Dredge the cod in the remaining 1/4 cup flour, shaking off any excess, and dip it into the batter.

Carefully slip the pieces into the hot fat and cook until brown on both sides, turning the fish once with a wire skimmer. Remove the fish with a skimmer and drain on a wire cooling rack to keep it crispy. Serve with French fries, malt vinegar, and a good Classic or Garlic Aïoli.

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Spring Spears

George Hirsch March 22, 2025

I am reminded it's spring because the calendar says it's so. But what do you do on those days when the weather says otherwise, like all this rain lately? I suggest bringing spring into your kitchen with ingredients that say spring flavor. What first comes to mind is asparagus. It's so versatile; you can steam, sauté, roast, and, if you must, fry it—preferably tempura.

Some conversational tidbits to keep in your pocket for your next dinner party or in a packed elevator:

- Asparagus comes from the ancient Persian word asparag, meaning a sprout. The ancient Egyptians cultivated asparagus and dedicated it as an offering to numerous gods. It must have been considered significant back then. And the Romans have an expression, "Velocius quam asparagi coquantur" - meaning, faster than you can cook asparagus.

In the 1890s, it was a rare and expensive vegetable in the United States, but cultivation helped tame the price.

- It was inevitable that the asparagus should be considered an aphrodisiac given its shape, which an Elizabethan writer remarked 'manifestly provoked Venus.'’

Asparagus is a young edible shoot commonly known as a "spear." The spear rises from an underground stem called a "crown," which can produce spears for 15 to 20 years. Most asparagus is harvested in spring when it is 6 to 8 inches high and has tender, fleshy spears and tight, compact heads. Once it reaches maturity, the asparagus stalks become woody, and fernlike foliage grows from the heads, making them inedible.

Tips:

Although grown on quite a large scale and in many countries, asparagus is available in abundance from March to late June. There are over 300 varieties of asparagus, and only 20 are edible.

They are divided into three main categories:

Green asparagus. This is the most common type of asparagus. It is harvested at a height of about 8 inches.

White asparagus. Grown in the dark (covered with soil to keep it from turning green), white asparagus is harvested as soon as it emerges from the ground. Although more tender than the green variety, it tends to be less flavorful and is more expensive since more work is required to grow it.

Purple asparagus: This variety has a fruity flavor and is harvested when only 2 to 3 inches high.

How to buy asparagus:

Whether asparagus is thin or thick, choose them with firm, crisp stalks and compact, brightly colored heads with no trace of rust or softness. The bottom of the stalk should be moist when squeezed, not dry and woody. Avoid yellowish asparagus with soft stalks beginning to flower, as these are signs that it is old.

Store asparagus vertically in 1 inch of water in a container, stem-side-down, in the refrigerator.

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Spaghetti alle Vongole

George Hirsch March 20, 2025

It is quick, easy, and one of the most delicious pasta dishes outside a good pesto. Afterward, sit back and enjoy a crisp Pinto Grigio or Rose like you're sitting seaside on the Almafi coast.

The clams are the star of this dish, but co-starring is the garlic. You may also call this dish 'Aglio con Spaghetti alle Vongole.' I've cooked this recipe for years using the sweetness of caramelized garlic, which adds a nice component to this dish. Yes, my family in Italy is shaking their heads right now as they cook with a very small amount of garlic. Go figure? But here in the US, we've become accustomed to big flavors in our dishes. So get out my old recipe for caramelized garlic and make a half dozen heads; I guarantee you won't have any left.

Spaghetti alle Vongole recipe by George Hirsch

makes 4-6 servings

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George Hirsch Lifestyle from Know Your Fire Cookbook

1 pound dry spaghetti or linguine

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

2 heads caramelized garlic cloves, crushed

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 pounds Manila or littleneck clams, scrubbed and rinsed well

1 cup dry white wine

Juice of 1 lemon

4 Tablespoons sweet butter

Freshly ground black pepper

4 Tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

2 Tablespoons fresh basil, roughly chopped

Optional: 1/4 cup lightly toasted bread crumbs

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente.

Prepare the sauce while the pasta is cooking to toss the spaghetti directly into the sauce. RECIPE BELOW

Preheat a deep-side saute pan or Dutch oven; add olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes; saute for 1 minute. Add the clams, wine, half the parsley, and lemon juice. Cover and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until all the clams are opened, about 5 - 8 minutes. Discard any clams that do not open.

Increase heat to medium temperature. Add the hot, drained linguine to the pan; add the butter and season with pepper. Toss the pasta with the clams to coat pasta with clam sauce. Top with chopped parsley, basil, and toasted bread crumbs. Drizzle with additional olive oil. Serve immediately.

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