How to Use Marsala Wine With Rice
Marsala wine is a sweet wine fortified with brandy. It was first produced in the city of Marsala in western Sicily at the beginning of the 19th century. Similar to port and sherry, Marsala is a traditional dessert wine and a key ingredient in some of the Sicily's signature dishes such as veal scallopini alla Marsala. Cooks also add the sweet, nutty-tasting wine to Risotto, a creamy rice dish that can be made with different meats and vegetables. The wine's unique flavor and the grain's ability to absorb it while cooking make Marsala and rice a perfect culinary combination.. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Skillet
- Medium sauce pan
- 1 1/2 cups of Arborio rice
- 1 medium onion
- 4 tbsp. butter
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 5 cups of chicken broth
- 1/2 cup of Marsala wine
- 1/2 tsp. course-ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 grated grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
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1
Place chicken broth into the sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and keep the broth simmering. The trick to all risotto dishes is slow cooking and stirring. The broth needs to be added to the rice mixture ladle-by-ladle, allowing enough time for the rice to absorb each measure. It takes awhile, but good risottos can't be rushed.
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2
Heat the olive oil and half of the butter in the skillet. Finely chop and gently saute the onion until the pieces are translucent. Stir in the rice and make sure it's evenly coated. Add the Marsala and stir until the rice absorbs the wine.
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3
Add the first ladle of broth and adjust the heat to keep the mixture at a strong simmer. When the liquid is absorbed, add another ladle of broth. It takes about 30 minutes of ladling and stirring to fully cook the rice. The simmering releases the starch from the Arborio rice and allows it to mix with the wine and butter to form a creamy Marsala sauce.
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4
Once the rice is cooked, remove the skillet from the heat and add the salt, pepper, remaining butter and cheese. Serve immediately.
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5
For a more flavorful risotto, add a cup of sauteed mushrooms into the rice and wine mixture before starting to simmer the ingredients with the broth. Mushrooms absorb the flavor of the wine and are used in many Marsala-based dishes. Some cooks like porcini mushrooms, but any variety will work. Finely chopped walnuts also enrich the flavor of a Marsala risotto.
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Tips & Warnings
Marsala's special flavor also enriches rice pudding. Add 1/3 cup of wine to any rice pudding recipe prior to serving warm, or mix in the wine before chilling the dessert. Puddings made with Arborio rice work best because of the high starch content.
References
- Photo Credit John Foxx/Stockbyte/Getty Images
