How to make a good risotto??

Answer 1

1 medium-size yellow onion
4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)
5 cups or more chicken broth, canned or homemade
2 cups Arborio rice (available in many supermarkets or specialty food stores)
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese


Preparing the Rice
Peel and finely chop the onion.

Melt the butter in a 4-to-5-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring regularly.

Add the onion and cook, continuing to stir, until it turns soft and translucent. Turn the heat down if the onion starts to brown.

Meanwhile, pour the chicken broth into a separate saucepan, set over medium heat, and bring to a gentle simmer. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain this simmer the whole time you are preparing the risotto.

Once the onion is soft, add the rice and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary -- if the rice is cooked at too high a heat, it will turn brown and take on an undesirable flavor.

Adding the Liquid to the Rice

Using a ladle, scoop up about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of broth. Pour it in the pan with the rice, stirring constantly with a spoon. After the first addition of broth, the rice mixture will look a bit soupy.

As the rice begins to cook, stir it constantly, making sure that you scrape along the bottom of the pan so that it does not stick. You should see little bubbles popping up on the liquid from time to time. If it bubbles more vigorously than this, turn the heat down to medium-low.

When most of the liquid is absorbed into the rice and the rice begins to look a bit dry, add another ladle of broth to the pan and stir constantly, as before.

Determining When the Risotto Is Cooked

Continue to add the broth in 1/2-to-3/4-cup batches and stir the rice until you have used most of the broth (this will probably take about 20 minutes). It is now time to test whether the risotto is cooked. Spoon up a grain of rice and bite into it -- it should be tender without being too mushy. If it is still crunchy and tastes a bit starchy, you will need to continue adding liquid and cooking further.

If it looks as if you will run out of chicken broth and your rice is still not cooked, don't be alarmed. Because of variations in individual stoves and cooking temperatures, you may need more liquid than called for in the recipe. Simply heat up another cup or 2 of chicken broth. If you run out of broth, use hot water.

When the rice is tender and the risotto has a creamy consistency, almost like thick oatmeal, it is done.

Serving the Risotto

Add salt and pepper to the risotto, about 1/4 teaspoon at a time, until it seems well seasoned to you. Stir.

Add the grated Parmesan cheese and stir well.

Serve the risotto immediately in warm bowls and have extra grated Parmesan on hand.

Risotto with Tomatoes and Basil

Take 4 Roma tomatoes, cut off and discard the stem tops, and cut the tomatoes into small pieces. Chop enough fresh basil leaves into small pieces to make about 1 cup. Put 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet, and turn the heat to medium-high. When the bottom of the skillet feels hot when you put your open hand 1 inch from the bottom, add the tomatoes and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Stir for 3 or 4 minutes, until they seem soft. Put the cooked tomatoes aside, and when the risotto is done, stir the tomatoes and basil into the hot risotto. Stir to mix well; taste for salt and add some if needed. Serve immediately and pass some grated Parmesan cheese.

Risotto with Spinach and Garlic

Peel and chop 3 large cloves of garlic into small pieces, and put them on a piece of waxed paper. Rinse 1/2 bunch of spinach leaves, and shake off the excess water. Cut off the stems, bunch the leaves up, and cut them into thin strips, then cut crosswise into small pieces. Put 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. When the bottom of the skillet feels hot when you put your open hand, palm side down, 1 inch from the bottom of the skillet, it is ready. Add the garlic to the oil and stir for a minute. Turn the heat to low, and add the spinach. Press the spinach down with a spatula, lightly salt and pepper it, and turn it over with a spatula. The spinach will wilt down almost immediately. Take the skillet off the stove, put a lid on the skillet, and when the risotto is done, stir the garlic and spinach into the risotto. Serve immediately, and pass some grated Parmesan cheese.

Answer 2

Brodo
5 cups chicken broth, 1/4 cup reserved
1/2 cup dry white wine
Soffritto
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup finely minced onions
Riso
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
Condimenti
1 tablespoon butter
herbs or cheese or vegetables

Not the one? See other Basic Risotto Recipes
< 60 mins One-Dish Meal
Low Protein One-Dish Meal
Short-grain rice One-Dish Meal
Italian One-Dish Meal
Comfort Food One-Dish Meal
Brodo: Bring the broth to a steady simmer in a saucepan.
Soffritto: Heat the butter and oil in a heavy 4 quart pot over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 1 to 2 minutes until it begins to soften. Do not brown the onion.
Riso: Add the rice to the soffritto using a wooden spoon and stir for 1 minute, making sure the grains are well coated. Begin to add the Brodo, starting with the 1/2 cup of wine and then adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time. Stir frequently and wait until each addition is almost completely absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup.
Condimenti: After about 20 minutes, when the rice is tender but still firm, add the reserved broth and the condimenti. Stir until the cheese is melted, herbs are combined, etc.
Serve immediately.
Condimenti suggestions are Goat Cheese (4 oz)and Parsley (1/4 cup); Crab meat (8 oz), Goat Cheese (4 oz), and Basil (2 Tbs dried); Spinach (1 10 oz box thawed and drained) and Parmesean (1/3 cup).

Answer 3

Risotto is tricky. I've made it a few times and still cannot get it right lol.

One thing I learned in school though is to add the butter and cheese OFF the heat. Can't remember why, but I just remember Chef being adament about it.

Answer 4

Barley Risotto with Julienne Chicken and Parmesan:

1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup diced carrot
1 thyme sprig
3/4 cup diced celery
3/4 cup thinly sliced leek
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 (4-ounce) skinned, boned chicken breast halves, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 3/4 cups uncooked pearl barley (about 12 ounces)
6 cups fat-free chicken broth
1 cup water
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add carrot and thyme; sauté 1 minute. Add celery, leek, and onion; sauté 1 minute. Add salt, pepper, and chicken; sauté 5 minutes. Add barley; sauté 1 minute.

Add broth and water; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 40 minutes. Remove from heat; discard thyme sprig. Stir in parsley and cheese.

Yield: 9 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Answer 5

Use any recipe. But the key is to keep stirring! At least every couple minutes. It's a labor thing. You want all that starch to come off the arborio and that's what makes it creamy. And don't add too much stock at once. Once it's cooked down then add a bit more, like 1/2 cup at a time. It takes a while, but it's worth it.

Answer 6

The stock should be HOT when added to the risotto....pour in slowly and in small amounts and stir until it is absorbed into the rice before adding the next small amount.

Answer 7

you can find just about any recipe that suits your taste in the net, but the secret is cooking slowly and adding a good quality broth. And mix with a wooden spoon.

Answer 8

Seafood Risotto
2 1/2 cups water
2 (8 ounce) bottles clam juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup finely copped shallots
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
6 slices bacon, chopped
3/4 lb uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined and coarsely chopped
3/4 lb sea scallops, quartered
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons gremolata
Combine 2 1/2 cups water and bottled clam juice in medium saucepan. Bring to simmer and keep warm over low heat.
Heat 3 Tbl olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and mushrooms; saute until shallots are light golden, about 4 minutes. Add rice; saute 2 minutes. Add wine; stir until liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add stewed tomatoes; cook until liquid is absorbed, about 3 minutes.
Add 1 cup clam juice mixture to rice. Simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring often. Continue adding clam juice mixture by 1/2 cupfuls until rice is tender, but still slightly firm in center and mixture is creamy, simmering until liquid is absorbed before each addition and stirring often, about 25 minutes.
Heat bacon in heavy large skillet over medium high heat until fat is rendered (should be about 3 Tbl fat) and bacon is slightly brown. Add shrimp, scallops and garlic and saute until shrimp and scallops are opaque in center, about 6 minutes. Mix seafood into rice. Cook 3 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper and stir in gremolata just before serving. (Seafood can be sauted while rice is absorbing liquid).
Gremolata:.
3 or 4 garlic cloves, chopped.
bunch of chopped flat leaf parsley.
grated zest of 2 lemons.
(this makes more than the 2 Tbl you need but it keeps relatively well and can be used in other dishes.).

Answer 9

Go to www.foodtv.com. Emeril makes it all the time and I'm sure if you go to this site, it'll show you how.....BAM!

Answer 10

Here are 3 ideas for you ---- hope it helps.

Prep Time:5 min
Start to Finish:30 min
Makes:4 servings

Creamy Corn and Garlic Risotto

3 3/4 cups vegetable broth
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
1 bag (1 pound) Green Giant® Niblets® frozen whole kernel corn
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley


1. Heat 1/3 cup of the broth to boiling in 10-inch skillet. Cook garlic in broth 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir in rice and corn. Cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in remaining broth. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium. Continue cooking uncovered 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender and creamy; remove from heat. Stir in cheeses and parsley.

Substitution
Arborio rice, a specialty of Italy, creates the creamiest risotto, but you can substitute any short-grain white rice in this recipe.

Serve With
Serve risotto with a Caesar salad and French bread for an easy weeknight meal.



Prep Time:10 min
Start to Finish:40 min
Makes:4 servings


Sweet Potato Risotto

2 tablespoons dry white wine or water
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 cup uncooked Arborio or other short-grain rice
1/2 cup mashed cooked sweet potato
3 3/4 cups chicken broth, warmed
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg


1. Spray 3-quart nonstick saucepan with cooking spray. Heat wine to boiling in saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook onion and garlic in wine 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until onion is tender. Stir in rice. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
2. Stir in sweet potato and 1/2 cup of the broth. Cook, stirring constantly, until liquid is completely absorbed. Stir in an additional 1/2 cup broth. Continue cooking about 20 minutes, stirring constantly and adding broth 1/2 cup at a time after previous additions have been absorbed, until rice is creamy and just tender; remove from heat.
3. Stir in remaining ingredients.


Prep Time:10 min
Start to Finish:40 min
Makes:6 servings

Risotto

2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup dry white wine or apple juice
1 1/2 cups uncooked Arborio or other short-grain white rice
2 cups chicken broth, warmed
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground pepper
Chopped fresh parsley, if desired


1. Melt butter in 12-inch skillet or 4-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook onion in butter, stirring frequently, until tender; reduce heat to medium.
2. Add wine to onion mixture in skillet; cook until liquid has evaporated. Stir in rice. Cook uncovered over medium heat about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until edges of kernels are translucent.
3. Mix broth and water; pour 1/2 cup broth mixture over rice. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed. Repeat with remaining broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, until rice is tender and creamy. Sprinkle with cheese, pepper and parsley.

Variation
Stir in a 10-ounce package of frozen green peas, cooked and drained, just before serving for a colorful side dish.

Success
The secret to creamy risotto is adding broth 1/2 cup at a time and cooking with frequent stirring until all the liquid is absorbed before repeating with another 1/2 cup broth.