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Quinotto
Creamy Andean quinoa 'risotto' with mushrooms, ají amarillo and cheese
Quinotto is quinoa cooked like a risotto, a dish from the new Andean cooking of Cusco and Lima that marries Italian technique with the grain of the high Andes. Quinoa is toasted with onion and garlic, simmered in stock with white wine, then finished with mushrooms, butter, cream and grated cheese until creamy and loose. It has a pleasant pop and nutty flavour that rice never has, and a gentle warmth from ají amarillo. Serve it as a main with a green salad. Use a hard cheese made with vegetarian rennet. Chef's tip: quinoa has little starch, so the creaminess comes at the end; stir in the butter, cheese and cream off the heat and serve straight away while it still flows.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Heat 1 tablespoon of 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over a high heat and fry 9 oz mushrooms for 4–5 minutes until golden and any liquid has evaporated. Season with a pinch of ⅛ tsp salt and set aside.
5 minStep 2: In a wide pan, heat the rest of 1 tbsp olive oil over a medium heat and cook 2 shallots for 3 minutes until soft but not coloured.
3 minStep 3: Add 2 cloves garlic and the drained 9 oz quinoa and stir for 2 minutes. The grains dry out and start to crackle and smell toasty; this gives the dish its nutty flavour.
2 minStep 4: Stir in 1 tbsp ají amarillo paste, then pour in ½ cup dry white wine and let it bubble until almost gone, about 1 minute.
1 minStep 5: Add about two-thirds of the hot 2 ¼ cups vegetable stock and simmer gently for 12 minutes, stirring now and then, until most of it has been absorbed.
12 minStep 6: Add the rest of 1 ¼ cups vegetable stock a ladle at a time and keep stirring for 3–4 minutes more. It is done when the grains have burst to show their white spiral and are tender with a slight pop. The texture should be loose, like porridge; add a splash of water if it tightens.
4 minStep 7: Stir in the mushrooms, then take the pan off the heat and beat in 1 oz butter, ¼ cup double cream and 1 ¾ oz parmesan-style hard cheese. Season with the rest of ⅓ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper. It should spread gently on the plate rather than stand in a heap.
Step 8: Scatter with 2 tbsp fresh parsley and serve straight away; it thickens as it stands.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 450 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does quinotto take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of vegetable stock?
- Chicken stock, same amount (not vegetarian).
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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