Risotto (Northern Italy)
Leave it to the Italians to elevate rice to the ultimate level of decadence. In this dish, rice is stirred constantly on the stovetop with onion, garlic, broth and wine (if you desire) until the starches in the grains thicken everything into a super creamy sauce. Finish with some parmesan cheese and butter to create something truly exceptional. The crazy thing is that it requires no cream at all!
Equipment
- Normal Kitchen Utensils
Ingredients
- 2 C Uncooked Rice Arborio is Traditional, But You Can Get Away with Other White Rice
- 5 C Chicken Broth
- 1/2 C Dry White Wine Or More Broth
- 1 Medium Onion
- 2-3 Cloves Garlic
- 1/2 C Parmesan Cheese Grated
- 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 Tbsp Butter
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
Instructions
- (Optional): Warm your chicken broth in a separate sauce pan. Doing so helps keep cooking consistent throughout the risotto-making process. You can honestly keep your broth at room temperature before adding. Just don't pull it straight from the refrigerator. Cold broth slows the cooking process quite a bit. A similar statement goes here for the wine (if you are using it). Make it room temperature.5 C Chicken Broth
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.3 Tbsp Olive Oil
- Dice the onion as finely as possible and add it to the olive oil. Cook 3-5 minutes until translucent.1 Medium Onion
- While the onion cooks, peel and mince the garlic. Add to the translucent onions.2-3 Cloves Garlic
- Add the rice to the vegetables and cook another 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the rice begins to exhibit a nutty hue and aroma.2 C Uncooked Rice
- If you chose to add the white wine, do so here. Stir constantly until the liquid is absorbed into the rice.1/2 C Dry White Wine
- Begin adding the 5 or 5 1/2 C of broth, in half-cup portions. Stir constantly as the rice absorbs the liquid. Only add more when the previous pour has been absorbed.
- Stir, adding more broth, for 25-30 minutes. At the end of this process, the rice should be cooked through and covered in a creamy sauce.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the butter and parmesan cheese.1/2 C Parmesan Cheese, 2 Tbsp Butter
- Add salt and pepper to taste.Salt and Pepper to Taste
- Serve right away, topped with some extra parmesan and fresh cracked pepper.
Notes
To reiterate, Arborio rice is the traditional rice for risotto. However, while you may face ire from die-hard risotto connoisseurs, you can use other white rice varieties. I have gotten by with long grain rice, which is much, much cheaper than Arborio.
Risotto has a similar start to rice pilaf, which also begins by toasting rice with vegetables. Things take a turn for the different once the broth gets added, though.
One of the most famous risotto dishes is Risotto alla Milanese, which incorporates saffron – the world’s most expensive spice. Other awesome varieties include mushroom risotto and tomato risotto, both of which are easy to work into after mastering the traditional recipe. Check out O.E.L for more on risotto’s history. Buon appetito!