Ah risotto, hard rice one minute and gluggy the next unless you have tips from the ‘King of Risotto’, Gabriele Ferron.
How do you make the perfect risotto? Well it’s all in the rice according to Ferron (pictured above) who has just started a ‘Real Risotto Tour of Australia.’ Starting in Perth, he is visiting Melbourne, Auckland, Sydney and Brisbane with a series of cooking classes and dinners.
This will be Ferron’s fourth trip to Australia since the Ferron brand of rice was first imported here and is a rare opportunity to hear the story of risotto from a true master of the Veneto region in Italy. Ferron was last in Brisbane in 2003 when he featured at the Hilton Brisbane Masterclass Weekend.
Ferron Carnaroli and Ferron Vialone Nano are renowned for their superb quality and are used by chefs and cooks around the world. The rice is processed in a mill which dates from the 17th century and is grown in the Veneto region of Italy. It has a higher level of the starch amylase in the centre of the grains as well as surface amylopectin starch. This means the grains hold their individual shape and ‘al dente’ texture while still binding to each other to achieve overall creaminess. And isn’t that exactly what we want in a good risotto?
John MacDonald of Palatable Partners who imports Ferron says the other feature of rice is that there are no broken grains in the pack, so you get a very even cook. Also the rice is temperature controlled on the journey from Italy to Australia to ensure it remains in peak condition.
Master Cooking Class
Join Ferron for a two hour Master Cooking Class and learn how to cook Venetian style risotto. Along with a goodie bag packed full of rice and a risotto spoon*, there will be recipes so you can practice your new risotto techniques. Three, perhaps four dishes will be cooked and there will be tastings of two dishes.
When: Wednesday August 21 from 10.30am to 12.30pm.
Where: Brisbane Hilton Hotel’s Queen’s Ballroom
Cost: $70 per person.
Book: Call 3231 3241 or email brisbane.events@hilton.com
Risotto Degustazione
Expect five risotto courses, degustation style, prepared by Ferron paired with Hilton Brisbane Vintaged Bar+Grill’s sous chef Dario Fiorino. Although he is well known as a rice producer, Gabriele is a highly experienced chef.
Here’s the menu –
- Canapé - Verdure in pastella (Crisp, young lightly battered vegetables)
- Entre’- Risoermestonno e erbe (Rice ermes with tuna and herbs)
- Starter -Petto d’ anatra con riso pilaf al rosmarino (Tender duck breast with rice pilaf and rosemary)
- Main - Risotto all isolanamaiale e vitellone (Risotto all’isolana with pork and veal)
- Dessert - Torta mamma ada con couli di frutta di bosco (Mother Ada cake with coulis of berries)
The courses will be accompanied by a selection of Italian and Australian wines.
When: Thursday, August 22 at 7pm
Where: Brisbane Hilton Hotel Vintaged Bar+ Grill
Cost: $115 per person
Book: Call 3231 3241 or email brisbane.events@hilton.com
*Never heard of a risotto spoon? It is a wooden spoon with a hole in the middle so you can fold through the rice, without bruising it, when cooking.
The visit has been made possible through Enoteca Sileno in Melbourne and Palatable Partners in Brisbane.
Best tip: It’s all about the rice and a little great rice goes a long way
Bottom line: Discover some great risotto recipes at www.realrisotto.com
Disclaimer: Post sponsored by Palatable Partners
