say it isn’t soy

One of our house guests observes a gluten free diet. Being out of the gluten loop I decided to go to the source.

The Mayo Clinic defines a gluten-free diet as one that excludes the protein gluten found in grains such as wheat, barley and rye. The prohibited list went on for three pages. I was pretty sure I didn’t have any Triticale or bulgar in the house and if so wasn’t planning on using it.

But how sad was I to discover that soy sauce has gluten. Who knew grain was added to the soybeans in the fermentation process. While Google initially dashed my weekend’s menu the search engine revived it with further probing. 

Not all soy sauce has traces of wheat. Wikapedia (not just for government leaks) explained that some are not made with gluten, such as tamari. Thankfully my weekend marinades were back in the running. Carbs I could forgo, being a former Atkins survivor, but seasoning was pushing it.

Tonight I was going to make spaghetti carbonara. Even though this evening’s diners could safely consume the carb in the carbonara I thought it might be fun to give it an arbio twist and a dash of spring. Perhaps it’s the strands of Easter basket grass that I keep finding in my white carpet or the article in Bon Appétit on spring fare but I am inspired to deconstruct a classic chafing it of it’s gluten in the process.

When making risotto it is essential to lay everything out before you begin. Especially important given risotto carbonara sports a freshly poached egg.

Another imperative is to thoroughly rinse the leeks. Cut off the root and thick dark tops, slice lengthwise and rinse under running cool water separating each layer. Once sand-free chop and set aside with the other ingredients.

Risotto is all about constant stirring and the slow addition of small cupfuls of hot broth. After you add the splash of white wine to the rice and leeks, pour a glass for yourself and a friend to pass the next 25 minutes.

When the risotto is almost al dente and getting creamy bring the skillet of water for the poached eggs to a roiling boil. After you add the cheese, bacon and parsley to the risotto gently slide the eggs into the simmering water giving it a swirl.

Fold the peas into the rice and divide among your plates or bowls. Checking to see that the yolks are suitably set, remove each with a slotted spoon and place on its arbio perch. A sprinkle of parsley, dash of salt and freshly ground pepper and your spring feast is fit for a gluten-free sovereign.