Fauxsotto: an original recipe

Fauxsotto!

It's not that often that I can say I'm sharing a fully original recipe with you.

I'm creative in the kitchen -- just not quite that creative. Yet.

But today, this one is all mine. And I'm really excited to share it with you because it meets my highest recipe criteria: wicked easy and wicked good.

Like many people, I love risotto but rarely ever make it because I can't be bothered with all that standing around and stirring. (I do have one baked risotto recipe up my sleeve that works like a dream -- it's on my to-do list to share with you, if I manage to get some photos of it the next time I make it.)

But I didn't set out to create my own risotto recipe or anything. I just reserve it as an order-in-a-restaurant-where-someone-gets-paid-to-stir treat.

But then I stumbled across a taste combination that got me thinking about making and easy risotto.

(Or fauxsotto, which I'm sure you figured out by now.)

It started innocently enough with a conversation with my sister-in-law, who was telling me about a bed-and-breakfast she stayed in in which the proprietors had created a Japanese inn-style ambience, including a traditional breakfast of raw eggs cracked into hot rice and mixed with some soy sauce. (According to Google, this is called tamago kake gohan in Japanese.) Using the same principle as spaghetti carbonara, the hot rice cooks the egg and gives it a nice creamy consistency.

Since I love a savory breakfast more than a sweet one, this really piqued my interest.

So one morning I gave it a try.

Verdict? Meh. It was OK but not really my cup of tea for breakfast.

HOWEVER.

The creaminess of the egg mixed with the rice reminded me a lot of risotto. So, by increasing the amount of rice, egg and soy sauce (I use tamari because I like the flavor better) and adding in some traditional risotto complements, I hacked tamago kake gohan into fauxsotto.

I truly wish my photos of this dish had more wow factor because I really, really want everyone to try this. As I mentioned before, it's super quick and easy to pull together and it's absolutely delicious. I made mine with green beans, mushrooms and prosciutto, but you could substitute whatever cooked meat or veg (or both) you love to see in risotto.

Do leave a comment and let me know what you think if you decide to give either the traditional breakfast dish or the fauxsotto a try!

Fauxsotto
(Note: If you decide you want a creamier consistency, you can add one more egg to the mix, but I'd start with two first.)

Ingredients:
3 cups hot cooked rice (how you end up with this is up to you!)
2 large eggs
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup of sliced mushrooms
half an onion, chopped
6-8 oz. green beans, trimmed and cut into small pieces
2-3 oz. prosciutto, torn into pieces
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Directions:
In a small bowl, beat the eggs until combined. Whisk in the soy sauce and set aside.

In a pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and mushrooms and saute for a few minutes. Add the green beans and continue to saute until the mixture reaches your desired consistency (just a few minutes more).

Place the HOT rice in a large bowl and make a little pit in the center. Add the egg mixture and quickly and thoroughly mix together so that the egg coats all the rice. Add the vegetable mixture, prosciutto and cheese, stirring to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.