It all began with a batch of risotto made in the pressure cooker. We cooked the rice for 3 minutes and then let the pressure dissipate naturally. The result was slightly overcooked risotto, perfect for making crisps. We spread some of the warm rice out on an acetate sheet and covered it with another. We rolled the rice grains out into a thin, uniform layer of smashed rice grains, that still retained some of their individual shape. Once the rice was cool, we removed the top layer of acetate and let the rice sheet air dry. When the rice pulled away from the acetate we put the sheets into our dehydrator to finish drying out completely. Once the sheets were crisp and brittle, we removed them from the the dehydrator and fried them in 400°F oil for ten seconds. Out came these bronze crunchy crisps. There taste and texture provide a wonderful contrast to raw fish and vegetable preparations and act as a fun and delicious garnish for a bowl of more traditional risotto. Next time we will explore different seasonings to garnish the fried risotto to see if we can take these delicacies even further.
