Now, you might think risotto is rather snooty. And it just might be. But really, it's so good that you should totally get over the potential snootyness factor and make the dish. (I mean, isn't it kind of snooty to refuse to make a delicious, comforting, versatile dish just because people might think you're snooty?) You have no excuse not to try this at least once!
I'm now going to give you a nice, basic risotto recipe. It's not hard at all, but there is a little timing to it. Make sure you have all the ingredients measured out and ready to go before you start! It makes the process flow much more smoothly. Depending on the amount of people you're serving, this recipe can be very easily halved, doubled, quadrupled... however you need to alter it. Also, as I usually say with the recipes I post here, feel free to substitute ingredients. I'll give you some ideas below the basic recipe.
Consider the following:
- Risotto is made with Arborio rice; a very starchy, short-grain Italian rice. It is on the expensive side, so PLEEEEEASE, buy it in bulk! (Also, buying in bulk allows you to just buy enough for 1-2 recipes so you can try it and decide if you want to buy more!)
- Don't rinse the rice. This diminishes the starch content of the grains, and the starch is what makes risotto creamy and yummy!
- For the wine, you have a few options: some people use sherry, some people use cognac (ooo, fancy!)... I used some Barefoot Pinot Grigio because that's what I had around (and I had it around because it's cheap!). Don't feel pressured to use an expensive wine for this; you can use anything you like-- though I wouldn't recommend anything red unless it's Valentine's Day... it'll turn your risotto pink! You don't even need to use wine if you don't want to. I included it because I like the way it makes the dish taste. Just add a little extra stock in its place.
Basic Risotto
1 small-medium shallot, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp butter or tub margarine
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1/3 cup dry white wine (optional)
1 cup Arborio rice
3 cups stock of your choice (vegetable, chicken, beef, etc.)
a pinch of grated Parmesan, Romano or Asiago cheese
Alrighty, are all your ingredients set to go? Let's get started! If you want to keep track of the time once the first liquid is added, apparently the ideal cooking time for risotto is about 22 minutes (thanks Rachael Ray).
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the butter and olive oil over low-medium heat and sauté the shallot and garlic for a few minutes until almost translucent. Add the rice and a pinch each of salt and pepper, and continue to cook, stirring constantly. After another few minutes, slowwwwlyyyy add the wine or the first dose of stock (if the latter, add about 1/4 cup), keep stirring. Give the liquid a few minutes to be absorbed, then add the next dose-- again, slowly. Stir, let it absorb, stir, add more liquid... you get the idea. Keep it going until the risotto is creamy and the rice is cooked to al dente (it shouldn't be smooshy, but it shouldn't crunch either). Sprinkle with the cheese and stir it in.
Risotto can be served as a side with a protein (preferably fish) or made into a main dish with the addition of some veggies (mushrooms, leeks, peas, spinach, squash, etc.) or legumes (try lentils or kindey beans!), and accompanied by a fresh salad or some bruschetta... or just served on its own, with some fresh bread to wipe the bowl clean. You can add other things instead of broth as well, like butternut squash soup! Be creative. You can make a breakfast version of risotto if you like; brew some Celestial Seasonings Gingerbread tea and use that to cook the rice, with some maple syrup and/or brown sugar.
Have fun and experiment, kids. It keeps life interesting.
Ciao!
Now that doesn't sound snooty at all, does it?
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