1. Example year 8 Design Task Lucy Reece
Risotto

2. Brief
A new Italian restaurant is about to open in Torquay which wants to feature regional Italian food. They have asked you to submit a possible risotto dish with your own twist. You are to design a risotto variation using the risotto recipe on page 472 of Cookery the Australian Way 8th edition. You are able to use packaged rice to attractively present your risotto. Because this is a new contemporary restaurant, they would like the dish to show this from the traditional recipe and for you to put your own modern ‘twist’ into the dish. For ease of reading the recipe they would still like it to be re-presented in the style of the Cookery the Australian Way. The owner of the restaurant is from Milan and has always strongly believed in using local and seasonal produce. He expects you to reflect this in your dish. You are serving 2 people for a light Italian lunch.

3. Specifications
Constraints: Must base recipe using the risotto recipe on page 472 of Cookery the Australian Way 8th edition. You are able to use packaged rice to attractively present your dish. Re-written in the style of the Cookery the Australian Way. Must use local and seasonal produce. Dish must serve 2 people. Considerations: Time Equipment available Skills

4. Evaluation Criteria
How was the recipe based on the risotto recipe on page 472 of Cookery the Australian Way 8th edition?
How was local and seasonal produce used in the dish?
How was the dish prepared to ensure if served 2 people?
How was the dish prepared to ensure it was completed on time?

5. Research What food is in season for summer?
Asparagus
Turnips
Pumpkin

6. Research Local produce for Western Australia
West Australian Boneless Saddletail Snapper Fillets

7. Ideas- research Ingredients for Option 1: Ingredients for Option 2:
What Option you have chosen and why:
Chicken stock
olive oil
brown onions
Risotto Rice
thyme leaves
milk
chicken thigh fillets
pumpkin
garlic cloves
Parmesan
Fish stock
white wine
Saddle tale snapper fillets
Asparagus
Harvey – blue cheese
 I have decided to make option 2.
This option uses the Asparagus for seasonal and shows off the local produce by using snapper and blue cheese which are the ‘hero’ of the recipe. Using the Fish stock as well will ensure the flavor of fish throughout the dish.

8. Snapper Blue Risotto
Ingredients
1 L Fish stock
20ml olive oil
1 brown onion, diced
2 cups Risotto Rice
1 tsp thyme leaves
40ml white wine
2 Saddle tale snapper fillets, cubed
1 bunch Asparagus, sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
40g Harvey – blue cheese
Method
Bring the stock just to the boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat and hold at a gentle simmer.
Heat I tsp of the oil in a heavy-based stockpot or large flameproof casserole dish over medium heat. Add the onion. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft and translucent but not coloured. Add the rice and thyme. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until the grains appear slightly glassy.
Add the wine to the rice mixture and cook, stirring, until the liquid is absorbed. Add a ladleful (about 125ml/1/2 cup) of the simmering stock to the rice and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding the stock mixture, a ladleful at a time, stirring constantly and allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding the next ladleful, for minutes or until the rice is tender yet firm to the bite and the risotto is creamy.
Heat remaining oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the fish and stir-fry for 5 minutes or until fish just starts to brown. Add the asparagus and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes.
Add the fish mixture and blue cheese to the risotto and combine. Season with salt and pepper to serve.

9. Planned presentation
Plain white background with white or blue bowl. Risotto in bowl and photo taken very close up to show texture of rice. Fork in bowl.

10. Production Plan page 1

11. Production Plan page 2

12. Final photo

13. Evaluation
How was the recipe based on the risotto recipe on page 472 of Cookery the Australian Way 8th edition?
We used the layout of the Australian Way recipe, including the ingredients list with qualities and preparation steps. The quantities of the recipe also came from the Australian Way recipe as well as the base ingredients, such as the rice and the onion/garlic.
How was local and seasonal produce used in the dish?
We researched what was locally produced in the Western Australia area and used saddle tale snapper, which comes from the coast of Western Australia at this time of year. The blue cheese used in the recipe is from cows milk and produced on a farm called Harvey Cheese. Asparagus is a vegetable that is in Season in summer and also helps the dish with providing some colour.
How was the dish prepared to ensure if served 2 people?
The recipe from Cookery the Australian Way serves 4 people so we halved the recipe. It still made a lot and would serve more than two people. Next time I would use a little less rice and stock to make the fish more prominent in the dish.
How was the dish prepared to ensure it was completed on time?
We were really well organised before starting the recipe and planned out our steps using our production plan. We made sure we collected all the ingredients at the beginning and we ensured we kept our bench organised which made sure we didn’t waist time collecting and cleaning. When the rice was simmering we started doing our dishes which helped us as we didn’t have to do so many dishes at the end.

14. Sensory Analysis
The risotto was white with sprinkles of blue from the cheese and green from the asparagus. It looked like a fluffy white cloud on a plate. It was very smooth and moist in the mouth with a salty fishy taste. It each bite the blue cheese gave the risotto a sharp bitter taste.

15. Discussion
When preparing our recipe we were very organised with collecting our ingredients, have order to our bench and following our production plan. We had the right quantities of most things and we finished earlier than expected. Next time I think we need to check that the risotto is cooked earlier as we slightly over cooked the rice which made the risotto a bit too soft.