Sohui Kim’s Green Eggs and Ham, a playful allusion to the Dr. Suess book, is really a deliciously creamy risotto that’s balanced by an herb and vegetable puree and a salty pinch of pork. It’s one of the most popular dishes at her beloved Red Hook restaurant, The Good Fork, now closed because of the coronavirus. Here, she shares a pantry version of the dish out of her Good Fork Cookbook, where you can use any green frozen vegetable and bacon instead of serrano ham or pancetta as well as a regular egg. The dish is a reminder that we’re at the start of a new, and hopefully better season for all of us. “I think it’s uplifting to see green; it’s spring now,” said Kim.
Serves 4-6Prep time: 40Cook time: 20Total time: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS
For the Green Purée:
½ cup frozen peas, thawed (or any frozen or fresh green vegetable)
½ cup frozen spinach, thawed (or any frozen or fresh green vegetable)
½ cup parsley leaves
¼ cup water
For the Risotto:
Vegetable oil, for frying
4 ounces serrano ham or bacon, sliced lengthwise into ½-inch strips
6 cups chicken stock
3 cups water
¼ cup olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup white wine
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup frozen peas
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Fried eggs, for serving
Chopped chives, for garnish (optional)
Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
1. Make the green purée: In a blender, combine all the green purée ingredients and blend until smooth. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 inch of vegetable oil to 350º and line a plate with paper towels. (If using bacon, skip the oil.) Working in batches, fry the ham until golden and crisp, 30 seconds. Transfer to the prepared plate to drain.
3. Make the risotto: In another medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock and water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a very low simmer.
4. In a 6-quart Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent, 4 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to stir until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice and cook until toasted and beginning to stick to the bottom of the pan. Pour in the wine and cook, stirring constantly, until the wine is completely evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Ladle 2 cups of the simmering chicken stock mixture over the rice. Stir almost constantly until the liquid is completely absorbed, 5 minutes. Continue this process of adding stock and stirring until absorbed until the chicken stock mixture is gone and the rice is tender and creamy, 20 to 25 minutes more.
6. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter vigorously until emulsified. Stir in the green purée, frozen peas and cheese, then season with salt and pepper.
7. Divide the risotto between plates and top each with fried ham, a fried egg, chives and a squeeze of lemon, then serve.
