Recipe Courtesy of Ming Tsai
Ingredients:
2 cups spinach leaves
2 cups sweet basil leaves
2/3 cup canola oil
4 cups vegetarian risotto
3/4 cup Reggiano cheese or other Parmesan or hard cheeses will work
2 cups spinach chiffonade
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and black pepper to taste
Chive batons for garnish
Directions:
In a pot of very salty boiling water, blanch the spinach and basil for about
45 seconds. Immediately shock in an ice bath and squeeze out excess water. In a
blender, blend at high speed while adding the oil. Season the puree. Take
vegetarian risotto and place in large bowl. Make sure risotto is not too hot
before adding puree. Fold in 1/2 of the green puree and 1/2 of the cheese. If
risotto is not green, add more puree. Check for seasoning and add more cheese if
necessary. Spread risotto into a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Risotto
should be at least 2 inches high. Place a sheet of parchment paper on top and
chill for at least 4 hours to overnight. Cut 2 1/2-inch circles of risotto and
pan sear in a non-stick pan coated lightly with oil. Color both sides well. Toss
spinach chiffonade with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Place a small mound in the
middle of a plate and top with risotto cake. Drizzle carrot syrup and garnish
with chive batons.
STAR-ANISE CARROT SYRUP
32 ounces fresh carrot juice
2 pieces star anise
1 cup canola oil
Salt and white pepper to taste
In a stainless steel casserole, reduce carrot juice with star anise until all
of the water is evaporated. There will be a carrot. Remove the star anise and
scrape the "scum" to a blender. Blend at high speed while slowly
adding oil to emulsify. Check for seasoning. Store at room temperature.
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 12 hours
Cook Time: 2 hours
