Risotto

Risotto is one of my favourite dish. However it took me a long time to perfect it, to get it creamy and smooth. Italian recipes tell you that it should be creamy but still a little "al dente", to cook it for 15 minutes, sorry I like it really creamy and the longer it cooks the better it is, as far as I am concerned.

For a while, I thought I could get away with any odd kind of rice, It turned out that what I was cooking, though rater nice was not a risotto.

Carnaroli or Arborio rice? (there are others but these 2 are the main types found in Supermarkets). For me it is Carnaroli which is more expensive, but I think that it gives the dish a better texture.

There are many variations on risotto. I discovered one lately, where you add baked butternut-squash and goat cheese, and let me tell you this is a very, very good. But back to base.

Toast lightly the rice in hot olive oil (or butter if you must), add white wine or Vermouth, I have see it done with red wine, the way it is cook in Piedmont where it is called Barolo but for me this is a big No No, when the wine has evaporated,
add the bouillon gradually it is 500ml of liquid for 100g of rice and stir for ever or 15 minutes if you believe the recipes more like double that. Depending on what you will have with your risotto the bouillon is veg / meat or fish. I think it is important to use a good bouillon brand.
When this is done, take off the heat, mix in a little butter (or cream) and Parmesan.
Here are some ideas to experiments with risotto recipes




2 comments:

Unknown said...

Risotto was officially etched into my mind by the popular tv show Hell's Kitchen. It looks like it's so hard to get it right. Kudos to you for trying and having a good result!

Solange Berchemin of Pebble Soup said...

Aaaah, I so dislike Gordon Ramsay's TV shows, he may well be a nice man in private but he is such a bad ambassador for cooking.

Who would want to start a career as a cook, after having watch his show? let alone trying new dishes.

Go ahead, get the bits and try your risotto, Two things to remember: coat the rice with oil and when the bouillon is in, stir stir stir that loosen the starch molecules from of the rice grains into the surrounding liquid, that's how risotto gets creamy.

si

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