How to Make Risotto ~ basics, ideas and recipes

As a chef I loved cooking risotto at work – such a wonderful excuse for not having to rush about doing several things at once: a very pleasant 20 minute break with just a cup of Chef’s Coffee (see end of post!), a wooden spoon and maybe a little reading matter. However, towards the end of cooking, when the risotto is almost ready, then it needs your full attention.

How to make Risotto

A few Useful Pointers

~   There are two main types of risotto rice – carnaroli and arborio.  Carnaroli keeps its shape best and makes for a creamy result, Arborio, being smaller, makes for a softer risotto and you must be careful not to overcook.
~   Don’t wash the rice before cooking, its starchiness is what makes its splendid texture.
~   Use unsalted stock as it reduces and strengthens in flavour as it cooks.  Adjust saltiness when the risotto is almost ready to serve.
~   Warm the wine because “they do say” that adding cold wine will shock the rice and make it flaky

Basic Risotto Recipe and Method

Serves 2

1 small onion (a red one is good) finely chopped
25g butter or 1 tablespoon olive oil
200g risotto rice – arborio or carnaroli
a small glass of wine – choose according to what flavour risotto you are making
1 ltr stock –gently simmering with the lid on
salt and pepper
whatever additions you wish to add
knob or butter or a little cream, cotted cream or crème fraîche
`50g Parmesan or Grana Padano

~   Melt the 25g of butter or heat the olive oil in a hight sided saucepan.
~   Add the onion and cook over medium heat till in a high sided saucepan and cook over medium heat till tender. Add some finely chopped garlic if you like for the last few minutes of cooking.
~   Add the rice and stir it around to coat with the buttery oily goo.  Cook a few minutes till the rice is a little translucent.
~   When the rice has been cooking a few minutes add the wine and cook, stirring constantly, until it has been absorbed.
~   Add a ladle of the hot stock. Stir until it has nearly all been absorbed – the rice should always be sloppy, rather than dry – and then add another, and so on till the rice is just tender with a little bite in the middle (al dente) and is coated in a creamy and unctuous goo. This will take about 20 minutes. If necessary, add a little more stock or wine to achieve the ideal consistency.
~   Stir in any other additions and when heated through add the knob of butter or a splash or cream and the Parmesan or Gran Padano.
~   Taste and season, maybe add some herbs or a squeeze of lemon or a touch of chilli.
~   Leave with the lid on for a couple of minutes, then serve

Risotto Variation and Additions

~   When cooking the onions at the start of the recipe maybe use shallots instead, or add garlic to the onions, or add finely chopped carrots or celery.
~   Some ingredients such as fresh vegetables, crispy bacon or seafood should be prepared and cooked in advance and added when the risotto is almost ready to serve.
~   Leftovers of all sorts; meat fish, vegetables etc. should be diced or chopped and added towards the end of cooking the risotto as they just need to warm through.
~   Add whatever herbs spices and flavourings you fancy and deem suitable.
~ It is normal to stir a knob of butter into risotto just before serving but serving but how about a spoonful of clotted cream instead?
~   Parmesan or Gran Padano are the usual cheese added at the end of cooking but I have used blue cheese in Roasted Shallot Risotto with Blue Cheese to considerable success.

There are a few more risotto recipes around this blog …

Beetroot and Boursin Risotto

Black Garlic Risotto (with optional mushrooms)

Melted Onion Risotto

Leftover Risotto

Risotto is not just a great way of using up delicious leftovers by adding them when the risotto is finished cooking, leftover risotto is a good thing in itself. Here’s three ideas …

~   Reheat – heat a little appropriate stock, gently stir in the leftover risotto and keep stirring together with any additions over low heat till hot through. Add a knob of butter, more Parmesan or a little cream just before serving.
~   Arancini – these are little balls of leftover risotto, often with a melting centre of mozzarella, which have been deep fried.
~   Riso el Salto – aka pancakes, a classic way to use leftover risotto.

Chef’s Coffee

“Chef’s coffee” is red wine in a coffee cup so that it’s not too obvious that one is indulging at work. Having said that, I have worked in places where drinking is not so much frowned upon as compulsory!

Baked Risotto

Baking risotto is an interesting alternative to the above way of cooking it, the only problem being that you have no excuse to relax and drink wine as it is cooking!