Tuesday, September 9, 2008

TT: Risotto

I love ordering Risotto at restaurants. It always seems so fancy.

So when I learned to make Risotto, I realized how easy it was to make! I could have it any time, and feel like a fancy, confident chef!

I don't remember where I got this recipe originally, but it's really basic, so it could have been anywhere. So, in time for another Tasty Tuesday, here's the recipe:


Risotto

  • 4 cups broth (chicken or vegetable are what I recommend)
  • 1 Tbs unsalted butter
  • 1 shallot, minced (okay, you can use some onion, but the shallot tastes better)
  • 1 cup arborio rice (it's a short grain rice with a high-starch content, which also absorbs a lot of the moisture. You can use a different rice, but it won't be as creamy as risotto is supposed to be)
  • 2 Tbs white wine
  • Pinch powdered saffron, dissolved in 1 Tbs hot water (okay, I'll admit, I've skipped this before, because I don't always have saffron on hand - it's expensive!)
  • 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 Tbs heavy cream
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • (Optional: sometimes I throw some garlic in there with the shallots/onions)

  1. In a large saucepan, bring the broth to a gentle simmer over low heat.
  2. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Saute the shallot until soft, about 7 minutes.
  3. Add the rice to the butter/shallot pan, and saute until it's glistening and well-coated, about 3 minutes.
  4. Raise the heat to medium, and add the wine. Stir until it evaporates, about 2-3 minutes.
  5. Using a ladle, add about 1 cup of hot broth to your rice. Stir constantly until the broth has been absorbed.
  6. Add another ladleful of broth, and keep stirring until it's been absorbed. Continue the process, adding broth a ladleful (about a 1/2 cup) at a time and stirring in this way, until the rice kernels are plump and no longer chalk-white in the center. This will take about 25 to 30 minutes. The rice is almost done when the kernels are still separate but starting to bind, and there are pools of broth on the surface. It's done when the liquid has been absorbed, and the kernles are bound in what looks like very ricey, yet somewhat creamy, rice pudding.
  7. Add the saffron and the parmesan cheese. Stir well to combine, making sure almost all the liquid has been absorbed. Turn off the heat.
  8. Stir in the cream and season with salt and pepper. Serve right away.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

holy cow! you deserve an award for making such an awesome dish! so i gave you one. come see!

Lindsey said...

YUMMMM! I don't think I can get that kind of rice here (only white, lots of white rice)... but I'll have to hang on to this recipe for a future trip back to the states! Thanks!

Marissa said...

sounds delish! don't know if i could do it, but i want to try!

 
ss_blog_claim=acc74a8c5ab67035e621c579fb5786a8