Tastes of Tuscany

There's nothing better than spending Friday night at home, cooking together and unwinding at the end of a long week. One of my favourite things to do is listen to music with my husband, light the candles, get dressed up and make risotto. Hey, it's not everyone's idea of kicking back, but it works for me.

Last night, we decided to make one of our favourites: Tuscan Cornish game hens and mushroom risotto. It may sound like a lot of work after working all day, but it really isn't. The whole meal from start to finish, including prep, takes a little more than an hour. And when you finally sit down at the table and take your first bite of creamy, earthy, cheesy risotto, you'll know it was absolutely worth it.

We enjoyed this meal with a delicious 2005 Spanish Tempranillo that cost less than $15 and was full-bodied and fruity with a hint of vanilla.

Cheers!

Tuscan Cornish Game Hens (serves 6, but you can easily adjust the serving size)

(From Flavours of Tuscany, by Nancy Harmon Jenkins)

6 slices prosciutto
3 slices pancetta
3 Cornish hens, each about 3/4 lb.
3 fresh sage leaves
3 fresh bay leaves
6 pitted black olives
2 tsbp. virgin olive oil
freshly ground salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F.
Tuck a slice of pancetta, 2 olives, a bay leaf and a sage leaf inside each bird. Sprinkle salt and pepper all over Cornish hens, rubbing it into the skin, then rub them all over with the olive oil. Wrap each bird in two strips of prosciutto, crisscrossed. Set the birds into a baking dish into which they fit comfortably.
Roast, uncovered, for 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 325 F and continue roasting 30-45 minutes longer, until the juices run clear when the thigh is punctured with a skewer.
Let birds rest for 5 minutes, then cut them in half vertically and serve immediately, with pan juices.
We used 2 hens last night which makes 4 servings, so we don't have to cook tonight.
This is excellent with whipped potatoes and a salad, but my favourite side dish is:

Mushroom Risotto (serves 6)
(Adapted from the Kitchen Classics series Italian Kitchen by Jane Price)
3/4 oz. (20 g) dried porcini mushrooms (my grocery store only carries the 14 g package and that's fine)
4 cups (1 litre) chicken or vegetable stock
2 tbsp. olive oil
3 1/2 oz. (100 g) unsalted butter
1 lb 7 oz. (650 g) white or brown mushrooms, sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/3 cup (80 ml) dry white wine or vermouth
1 onion finely chopped
2 cups (440 g) arborio rice
1 1/2 cups (150 g) freshly grated parmesan cheese
fresh thyme, to taste and for garnish
freshly ground pepper, to taste

Soak dried porcini mushrooms in 2 cups hot water and let sit for 30 minutes. Drain through a sieve lined with a paper coffee filter or paper towel, reserving the liquid and coarsely chopping the mushrooms. Add the chopped porcini to your other sliced mushrooms. Add the reserved liquid to the 1 litre of chicken stock in a deep pot and bring to a boil, then let it simmer on a back burner.
Heat half the oil and butter in a frying pan over high heat, add the mushrooms and garlic and stir until tender, 5-10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook a further 5 minutes. Increase the heat and add the wine or vermouth and cook for about 5 minutes, until most of it and the mushroom liquid has evaporated. Watch this, or it will burn. Set aside.
In a large, deep skillet, heat the other half of the oil and butter, add the onion and some fresh thyme and cook at medium heat until the onion is soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat, about 2 minutes. Still at medium heat, start adding the stock to the pan, a ladleful at a time and keep stirring the risotto until all the broth is gone. Keep ladling in the broth and stirring until all the broth is gone and the risotto is tender but al dente. If you use all the liquid and the risotto is still not cooked well enough, add another cup of broth. All the stirring takes about half an hour, so have a nice glass of Chardonnay at hand. You'll earn it. It also helps when your husband offers to take a turn stirring.
When the risotto is done to your liking, remove it from the heat and add the grated parmesan and the mushroom mixture. Stir till the cheese melts and sprinkle with fresh thyme. Season with freshly ground pepper to taste. You shouldn't need salt, since the parmesan is salty.