best risotto recipe anyone?

Answer 1

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Italian Seafood Risotto With Porcini Mushrooms

Ingredients:
1 cup Italian arborio rice
2-3 T e. v. olive oil
4-6 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade)
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
2 cups boiling water (to reconstitute the dried porcinis)
1/2 cup dry, white wine such as chardonnay or pinot grigio
1/2 lb medium or large shrimp and 1/2 lb scallops (or, all shrimp or all scallops)
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 cup onions or shallots, finely minced
1 T fennel seeds, crushed in (coffee grinder)
2 T fresh Italian Parsley, chopped
1/4 to 1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano
salt and freshly ground black or Tellicherry pepper
(see Herb and Spice Dictionary)
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
2 T butter or yogurt butter



Preparation:
Pour boiling water into small bowl and add porcinis to reconstitute. This takes from 20-30 minutes, so plan ahead. Shrooms should be soft and plumped.

Set chicken stock to a slow simmer in a large sauce pan or soup pan

In large skillet, heat wine over medium and add garlic for one minute.

Add the seafood and let simmer until shrimp turn just pink, and/or scallops just turn translucent. Remove from heat and let steep in the wine.

(In other words, cook the seafood only to medium rare, since it will continue to cook in the wine and when added to the risotto.)

After the porcinis have "re-constituted" for about half an hour, take the porcinis out of the liquid and squeeze out some of the juice back into the bowl. It will be dark brownish red by now and deeply flavorful. Yum! If it's "gritty", strain the grit out.

Add the cleaned porcini liquid and the porcinis themselves to the simmering stock

Perfect! Now the risotto stock is primed to deeply infuse the arborio with the earthy, chestnutty flavor of the porcinis. (They grow underneath chestnut trees in Italy and take on the flavor).

You are sooo going to love this. Darn it, I wish we were there!

Now, in a large cast iron skillet or large non-stick skillet, heat olive oil to medium.

Add the onions and toss them a couple of times to coat. Then, add the Italian Arborio rice.

Toss the rice with the onions a few times to coat it well with oil. This helps the rice to absorb the cooking juices slowly. It also assists in producing the silky texture that we so love in a really professionally done risotto.

Okay, now you add a ladle or two of the barely simmering stock, stir a little, make sure the developing risotto is completely covered with juices and reduce the heat to low.

Let it just simmer for a few, until the liquid is absorbed and the liquid level is just below the top of the rice.

Add more stock. You don't have to stir this time but make sure the rice is completely covered again. And just keep repeating this for about fifteen or so.

You are just about done now, so add the seafood and the liquid that is with it in its cooking pan.

Let the level of the liquid in your risotto reduce by about half.

It's now time to taste for tenderness of the rice. If the rice is tender enough for your personal taste (we like it really tender with just a tiny bit of crispness), add the cheese and butter, stir them in thoroughly and let the risotto continue to cook until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed.

Remove from the heat. Please let the dish stand for about 5-7 minutes and the flavors will meld (marry) a bit more.

Serve in pasta bowls (we've got these really cute Italiany bowls we serve risotto and pasta in.)

Top with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and freshly chopped Italian Parsley.

A nice Italian Chard or substantive pinot grigio goes great with this.

Answer 2

When I lived in Vicenza, Italy, my landlord would often come to eat. He especially enjoyed my risotto, saying it was as good as his mother's. The highest praise!

Risotto can be simple or elaborate. The flavors and additions are up to you. It can be a quick dish made after a busy day at work, or served to company with a great veal dish. Risotto does take a bit more attention than cooking pasta. It is a gentler process, requiring simmering rather than boiling.

Heat a little olive oil and/or butter in a frying pan. You can use either or both. I usually use olive oil. When the oil is hot, sauté half a chopped onion. Sauté the onion until it's soft and golden.

Add 4 oz of rice per person as a main dish, or 2 oz of rice if serving as a side dish. Sauté the rice for a few minutes. Make certain the rice is well coated with oil.

Have 3-5 cups chicken broth ready. If you need to use bullion cubes, try and find porcini mushroom bullion cubes. Canned or homemade broth is best. You are not going to add all broth at one time. Add the broth slowly, about 1/3 cup at a time. Enough so that the rice stays wet, but never so much that it completely covers the rice. You don't want to see large amounts of liquid in the pan. When the rice has absorbed all the liquid from the last addition, add another one. Keep stirring. Be patient and keep the heat on simmer. You should hear the steam when you add the broth, but the rice shouldn't stick.

What happens if you use all the broth and you still need more liquid? Glad you asked. This is the place for the white wine. Add a cup or two, 1/3 cup at a time, to the rice. Stirring and simmering just as you did with the chicken broth. Do not use red wine. You will have pink risotto. If you don't drink wine use more chicken broth.

When the rice is almost completely done add the final ingredients. I like a little saffron and parmesan cheese. Let it set for a few moments. Many Italians like to add a little butter or oil at this stage. It helps to create a creamier risotto.

Additional ingredients can be added when you put in the cheese. There are some simple additions. Spinach works well. If you use frozen, chopped spinach, add it earlier in the cooking cycle, decreasing the amount of chicken broth needed. Fresh asparagus can also be added earlier in the cooking process. The heated broth will blanch the asparagus. You can add cooked shrimp or chicken at the end phase.

Don't be disheartened if your risotto comes out too hard the first time. Try again. This is one advantage to creating a simple risotto the first time. You can always let the rice cook a little more. Risotto is a fine dish for the fall and winter months. It's basic, filling, and comforting. You can serve it to your meat loving friends or vegetarians. Just remember, as with your friends and family, you need gentleness and patience.

Answer 3

Here you go!

Risotto alla Milanese with Porcini

Serves: 10
Ingredients

1 oz. dried porcini
1/2 cup boiling water, approximately
1 lb. mixed fresh mushrooms
2 shallots
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 oz. unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsps. parsley, chopped
1/8 tsp. salt, approximately
1/8 tsp. pepper, approximately
4-1/4 cups homemade stock
2 small onions\cooked, peeled, very finely chopped
1/4 lb. unsalted butter
1-1/4 lbs. Carnaroli, arborio or Italian risotto rice
1-1/4 cups good red wine
50 strands saffron, approximately
1/8 tsp. salt, approximately
1/8 tsp. black pepper (optional), freshly milled, approximately
1/4 lb. Parmesan, freshly grated

Instructions

Put the porcini in a bowl and pour over the boiling water. Leave for about 20 minutes. Clean the fresh mushrooms, then cut into thick slices. Lift the porcini gently out of the water, wash under running water. Cut into pieces. Finely chop the shallots, put them in a large sauté pan and sauté with the oil and butter until soft. Add the garlic, a little salt and plenty of pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute and then add the porcini. Cook for 5 minutes or so and then throw in the mushrooms and the parsley. Cook over a lively heat for 5 minutes, turning the mushrooms over very quickly so that they do not catch. There should be very little liquid by the end of the cooking. Keep warm.

Bring the stock to simmering point in a pan and keep it at a low simmer. Put the onion and 2 oz. of the butter in a saucepan, sauté until soft and translucent. Add the rice and stir until well coated with the butter. Pour in the wine, boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, and then pour in 14 Tbs. stock. Cook, uncovered, until nearly all the stock has been absorbed and then add another 14 Tbs. of the simmering stock. Continue cooking and adding small quantities of stock, stirring very frequently. The risotto should cook at a steady, lively simmer. About halfway through the cooking (risotto takes about 20 minutes) add the saffron dissolved in a little of the stock. When the rice is ready (al dente and creamy, not mushy or runny) taste and adjust the seasoning. Draw off the heat and mix in the rest of the butter and half the Parmesan. Put the lid on and leave for 1 minute or so. When the butter and the Parmesan have melted, give the risotto a vigorous stir and transfer to a heated round dish. Scatter the mushroom garnish over the risotto and serve immediately with the rest of the cheese in a separate small bowl.

Answer 4

Risotto ai Funghi...
rice
mushrooms
finely chopped onion
finely chopped green pepper
salt & pepper
Olive oil


Cook your rice with a little salt until tender and fluffy.
Drain and reserve

Sautée the chopped onion with the chopped pepper in your olive oil, when the onion is transparent and tender add sliced fresh mushrooms and mix slowly over the flame until the mushrooms change colour and turn slightly brown. (3 or 4 min.)
Then add the rice slowly, turning until all is well mixed...if it starts to stick to the pan add another dollop of oil.. Verify if it needs more salt, add fresh ground pepper..(The mixed grains red, black white and green give the best flavour).

Serve immediately
Excellent to accompany a fish or white meat (fowl).

(chopped bacon - optional)
You can also sautée bacon bits with the onion before adding the mushrooms and rice. This gives a nice added flavour.

Answer 5

check out Delia smith's web site, she has a great recipe for baked wild mushroom risotto, it is so easy as you stick it in the oven and cook it like that, it works perfectly, I have made it loads of times.