how do you make risotto?

Answer 1

Cooking Risotto

COOKING LIQUID:
All the flavors that the cooking liquid starts out with become more concentrated and intense as it evaporates. Bearing that in mind, when the recipe requires broth, you will use a fine, mild beef or chicken broth. Pure chicken broth becomes distractingly sharp, and so does stock produced in the French manner. Neither is desirable for cooking risotto. Water is the best choice for seafood risotto. Liquids that come from the ingredients in the flavor base should be retained, such as the juices released by clams or mussels, the water used to reconstitute dried mushrooms, and the vegetable flavored liquid left from the preliminary blanching of asparagus and other greens. Wine may be added, but it must not be the sole liquid used.

NOTE: The quantity of liquid suggested in the recipes is always approximate. In actual cooking, you should be prepared to use more, or sometimes less, as the risotto itself requires. When cooking with broth, if you have used up the broth before the rice is fully cooked, continue with water.

TIPS:

Read all the ingredients of your recipe for risotto, and measure and prepare all ingredients in advance of cooking.

Use only Italian short-grain rice varieties such as Aroborio, Carnaroli, Vialone, Nano, and Baldo (Arborio is the most commonly found short-grain rice). Short-grain rice has a high starch content and tends to absorb less liquid, resulting in a stickier, more compact risotto.

Never wash the rice. Every bit of the rice starch helps make risotto creamy.
Toasting the rice: Adding the rice to the saucepan on the heat without any liquid is an important step, because how it is done can determine the final texture of the risotto. Toasting the rice quickly heats up the grain's exterior (toast until the rice is hot to the touch and the color should remain pearly white, not turn brown.
It is important to add hot stock, not cold, to the rice during the cooking process. Adding cold broth to hot rice results in a hard, uncooked kernel in the center of the grain. Add approximately 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup, at the beginning, and decreasing the amount to 1/2 to 1/4 cup toward the end of the cooking process. Adding too much broth at the end can result in overcooked risotto. Keep the broth simmering slowly while you add it to the rice. This helps maintain a constant cooking temperature.
Run your wooden spoon across the bottom of the pot to determine when each addition of broth is almost completely absorbed.
Begin tasting the rice about 14 to 16 minutes after the first cup of broth is added. Cook the rice until it is "al dente," or the tooth still finds a little bit of resistance when it bites in when you chew. It shouldn't be rock hard in the center and mushy on the outside. The total amount of cooking time may vary within 2 to 3 minutes. Perfectly cooked risotto should not be hard and stick to the serving spoon, nor should it be so liquid that it runs off your plate. The texture should be supple and fluid, with a creamy, slightly soupy consistency, but with body.
You can always add simmering water if you run short on broth.

Add any vegetables, seafood, or meat, which cook quickly, when the risotto is only a few minutes away from al dente.
Serve risotto in preheated plates.

Answer 2

Risotto alla Milanese

Regardless of what you may have read or heard elsewhere, there is really no shortcut to making an excellent risotto. It will always take you twenty minutes from the time you start the cooking process until you bring it to the table. If you have ever eaten an excellent risotto, you will know that it is worth the time and patience it takes. The object is to create a creamy and voluptuous dish while the core of the rice remains resistant to the tooth. There are as many varieties of risotto as you can possibly think of, but this one is the classic accompaniment to Osso Buco.

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

6 1/2 cups chicken or beef broth
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots or onion
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups raw Arborio rice
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
sea salt and freshly ground white pepper

Preparation:

Bring the broth to a slow steady simmer.

Put the shallots in a heavy pan with 3 tablespoons of the butter and all the oil and sauté over medium-high heat until translucent but not browned.

Add the rice and stir until it is well coated. Sauté lightly then add 1/2 cup of the simmering broth.

Proceed according to basic risotto direction, adding 1/2 cup broth as the rice dries out, and stirring very frequently to keep it from sticking.

If you run out of broth, use water.

When the rice is almost done, add the saffron, all the grated cheese and the remaining butter.

Mix well. Taste and correct for salt.

Remember, when the cooking nears the end, not to add too much broth at one time. The risotto should be creamy but not runny.

Serve immediately, with additional grated cheese on the side, if desired.

Teacher’s Tips:
Taste your broth to determine whether you will need additional salt. Taste about halfway through to correct seasoning. Don’t add salt at the end!

This risotto is good enough to be “supper” all by itself. Simply toss a salad of peppery greens and choose a luscious Vernaccia di San Gimignano. Leftover risotto makes delicious rice cakes.

Answer 3

Use italian arborio rice, you'll probably need 6 cups of hot stock(your choice) for a cup or so of rice.
Start with olive oil and butter (1 Tbsp ea) and add some minced onion and garlic and sweat (don't brown) for a minute or two. Add rice and stir to get all the rice coated in the fat. Add about 1/4 cup white wine and reduce until amost evaporated. Turn heat to medium low and start adding hot stock 1 ladle at a time adding more after each ladle cooks off. You need to keep stirring so you'll need to pay attention. Continue to do this until the rice gives up it's starch (it'll take maybe a half an hour or so) and the rice softens but still has a slight bite to it. Turn off heat and add butter, salt, pepper and grated cheese. This is basic risotto. You can make it with mushrooms, seafood, different herbs etc. It's nice with a pinch or two of saffron (in the beginning stage) and gives it a nice orange color. You can make it as complicated or simple as your tastes desire.

Answer 4

Use short grained rice. Put one cup rice into a sauce pan with 1/2 cup white wine. Heat and stir when the wine evaporates start adding a little chicken stock a bit at a time and stirring all the while for about 15 mins. When the rice is creamy and looks like pudding you can add some Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley and serve.

Answer 5

Risotto

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.