What is risotto and how to prepare it. Cooking rice in Italian: the most delicious recipes for classic risotto! Risotto recipe at home

Cooking secrets

Risotto is one of the culinary symbols of Northern Italy, like pizza and spaghetti. This dish appeared by chance, thanks to the absent-mindedness of the cook, who was preparing rice soup, but forgot about it, and all the broth evaporated. Surprisingly, the cook found delicious rice in the pan, like the most delicate cream, with pieces of vegetables and meat. The first recipes for Italian risotto appeared in the 16th century, and now there are about a thousand ways to prepare this dish. All of them are prepared according to the same scheme: rice is fried in oil with onions, filled with broth or water, stewed, then vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, meat or seafood are added to it, and the ingredients may change. Sometimes, for a creamy texture, grated cheese mixed with butter is added to the dish at the end of cooking. You don't have to go to Italy to try Italian dishes, you can do it at home! So, let's talk about how to cook at home.

The best broth for risotto

Italian housewives prepare risotto in a maximum of 20 minutes, but they prepare all the ingredients for the dish in advance, such as broth. Risotto can be cooked in fish, beef and vegetable broth, but classic risotto recipes use chicken broth, boiled in good water with vegetables and spices. The flavor of the chicken goes perfectly with the rice!

It is better to cook chicken in well-purified drinking water with the addition of carrots, onions, stalked celery, parsley root, green pea pods, leeks, juniper, white or black peppercorns. And of course, don’t forget about the bouquet garni, which includes three essential components - parsley, thyme and bay leaf, diluted with tarragon, basil, rosemary, thyme and savory. These seasonings can be added dried or fresh, and it is better to salt the broth with sea salt - it is tastier and healthier.

The broth is prepared in the usual way: put the chicken in cold and lightly salted water, after boiling, reduce the heat, skim off the foam, add vegetables and spices and simmer for about 2 hours over low heat. 30 minutes before it’s ready, pour in a little dry white wine, and a couple of minutes before it’s ready, put bunches of greens into the pan. Then you need to cool and strain the broth. Using this recipe, you can also prepare broths from other products, just changing the cooking time, because vegetables and mushrooms cook faster.

Soft on the outside, hard on the inside

There are several hundred varieties of rice in the world, but only three varieties are intended for risotto - Arborio, Carnaroli and Vialone Nano. These medium-grain starchy varieties have a unique feature - they contain two types of starch. The starch on the surface becomes soft very quickly, so when cooked, the grains acquire a creamy consistency on the outside. The starch filling the core of the grain remains hard even after long cooking, so the rice turns out soft on the outside and dense on the inside. This is its highlight. Under no circumstances should you rinse rice before placing it in water, otherwise the surface layer will be damaged and you will end up with rice porridge instead of risotto. When choosing rice in a store, you can safely buy a package called “Risotto Rice.” Most likely, this is arborio, since other varieties are difficult to find in Russian stores. However, Arborio rice is very good and beautiful, looking like freshwater pearls. The quality of the rice is very important because it is what holds the dish together. By the way, about proportions - for 100 g of rice you need to take about 500 ml of broth.

A few words about products for risotto

The classic cheese for risotto is hard, grainy Parmesan or Grana Padano; the wine must be white and dry. It is recommended to use only butter, since risotto is a dish of the northern Italian regions, and olives grow in the south, however, in modern recipes it is allowed to use a combination of butter and olive oil. Naturally, the oil should have a fat content of 82.5%.

It is better to take yellow and white onions, not red; they should be cut very finely so that they do not introduce disharmony into the creamy consistency of the dish. Another important component of risotto is saffron. This ingredient is mentioned in recipes for risotto alla Milanese. You only need to purchase it in a store, and in its entirety, despite the fact that at the oriental bazaar sellers offer to buy a glass of saffron for 300 rubles. This should not be done under any circumstances, because the true cost of the spice is $10 per gram, and this gram will be enough for more than 40 risottos. To prepare the dish, use an infusion of saffron, for which several stamens are poured with hot broth and left for 30 minutes until the liquid acquires an orange tint. Another option is to dissolve saffron in wine.

Important points for preparing risotto

First, onions and other vegetables are fried in a frying pan until soft and transparent, but without forming a golden brown crust. Then pour in the rice and stir with the vegetables for half a minute, then pour in the wine, and the stirring process continues until the liquid is absorbed into the rice. Next, add one ladle of hot broth, while stirring the rice vigorously until it absorbs the liquid. When half of the broth remains, the main ingredient is added to the rice - saffron water, as well as mushrooms, seafood, meat or the necessary vegetables, then the broth is poured again in parts (while stirring). Exactly 17 minutes from the start of cooking, the frying pan is removed from the heat; it should remain completely undisturbed for 2 minutes so that the rice can rest and cool slightly. Finally, cubes of cold butter and grated cheese are placed on the rice, after which the risotto is well kneaded or shaken to distribute the butter and cheese evenly.

Constantly stirring the rice is an important condition for preparing the right risotto, and to make it work, prepare all the ingredients in advance, and then you won’t have to be distracted by onions or cheese. By the way, Italians do not add cheese to seafood risotto, believing that they do not combine well with each other. You should be careful with salt and pepper when preparing risotto, since well-aged cheeses have a salty and spicy taste. Before cooking, taste the dish and, if necessary, add salt.

How to make risotto especially delicious: secrets from the chef

If you are making risotto with chicken broth, add a little tarragon to the pan while cooking the chicken, and dill is good for making seafood broth. These seasonings improve the taste of the dish and make the risotto incredibly fragrant. You can put the chicken soup set for broth in the oven for 5 minutes and then cook the broth from it, which will turn out strong, tasty and golden. The same can be done with vegetables for broth - keep them in the oven or in a hot frying pan until lightly scorched.

It is better to crush the peppercorns before cooking, then the aroma will be especially bright. By the way, to make the broth low-calorie, it is recommended to cool it and skim off the congealed fat.

All products for risotto must be of the highest quality, so you should not use wine for the broth just because it turned out to be too sour, or add dried cheese to the rice.

Another feature of the dish is its versatility, because each Italian region cooks it differently, so there are many recipes for how to prepare risotto. Instead of dry white wine, feel free to add dessert or sparkling wines, replace classic hard cheese with soft or blue cheeses, and use creamy cheeses, cream or olive oil as a butter substitute.

Experiments with risotto

In ancient recipes for this dish one could find egg yolks, sausage, sugar, milk and bread crumb, but even now chefs like to experiment with risotto. For example, if you add green peas to a dish, you get a Venetian version. Some Milanese cooks fry onions and garlic with bone marrow, and during the Renaissance this dish was served with ox marrow, making risotto a delicacy.

With asparagus, artichokes, cauliflower, celery and zucchini it is considered a dietary dish - you can add lemon juice to it for piquancy and freshness. Risotto often becomes a filling for pies; it is also used as stuffing for tomatoes, eggplants and peppers, and it is also cooked in the oven as a casserole. Avocado, tomatoes, carrots, beans, sausages, cervelat and other products are also added to this dish.

Risotto can be prepared for dessert by boiling rice in milk or berry broth, and then adding fruits, berries, dried fruits and nuts to it. Sweet risotto with pumpkin, chocolate or chestnuts is very tasty.

Step-by-step risotto recipe

So, you've mastered the theory, now try making classic Milanese risotto with saffron and white wine. All details are described above, so the recipe is given without details.

Ingredients: chicken broth - 5.5 cups, risotto rice - 360 g, dry white wine - 120 ml, onion - 1 pc., butter - 30 g, champignons - 150 g, olive oil - 2 tbsp. l., Parmesan - 120 g, saffron - 1 pinch, salt - to taste, ground black pepper - to taste.

Cooking method:

1. Add saffron to the wine.

2. Bring the broth to a boil and cover with a lid.

3. Finely chop the onion, chop the mushrooms medium-sized and fry in olive oil until softened, this will take about 5 minutes. The onion should retain its color.

4. Add the rice to the onions and stir well for a minute.

5. Pour the saffron wine into the rice, reduce the heat and cook, stirring, until the rice has completely absorbed the wine.

6. Add one ladle of broth to the rice and stir again until absorbed. So pour in a ladle of broth until it runs out. On average, rice takes about 25 minutes to cook; when cooked, it resembles something between a second rice dish and rice soup from which all the liquid has boiled away.

7. Season with salt and pepper, add diced cold butter and grated Parmesan. Stir and serve.

Your family will certainly appreciate Italian risotto, and when you learn how to cook a classic version of the dish, pay attention to other risotto recipes, photos and descriptions of which are published on our website.

Risotto with porcini mushrooms

Mushroom risotto has an appetizing appearance and an extraordinary aroma. Cook 2 liters of chicken broth with carrots, onions and spices. Bring 60 g of dry porcini mushrooms to a boil in a glass of chicken broth and let them brew for half an hour. Chop the swollen mushrooms, strain the liquid, pour back into the broth and bring to a boil.

In 2–3 tbsp. l. olive oil, fry the finely chopped onion until translucent, add 300 g of arborio rice into the pan and fry, stirring, for 3 minutes. Pour in a glass of dry white wine and simmer while stirring for another 3 minutes. Place the mushrooms in the rice, pour in 2 more ladles of broth and cook until the liquid is absorbed. Gradually add broth and stir for 18–20 minutes. Remove the rice from the heat, let it sit for a minute, and then add 40 g of butter and 100 g of grated Parmesan. Serve the risotto on warm plates, garnished with fresh herbs.

Risotto, a classic warming and satisfying rice dish originally from northern Italy, has long taken the world by storm. Almost everyone already knows that the rice should be “al dente” (by the tooth), that cooking risotto requires broth, not water, and that grated cheese is often added at the end. But not everyone knows how to make risotto creamy and how to add other ingredients to the dish.

Basically, risotto is served as a first course, except (risotto with saffron), which is served with a meat dish . Risotto can be very simple and also incredibly complex. Depends on your preferences and what you cook with.

Making a good risotto requires attention and knowledge of some cooking techniques, but the effort is worth it. Once you know the basic cooking technique, you can try cooking millet, bulgur or even barley in the same way. These cereals are starchy enough to give a creamy consistency.

So:

1) Rice selection: Risotto requires short-grain rice, which is rich in starch, which helps achieve the desired creamy consistency. The best rice varieties are Arborio, Carnaroli or Vialone Nano. I do not recommend buying rice labeled “for risotto”; the grains of such rice are often not the same size, which will not allow all the rice to be cooked evenly.

The Carnaroli and Vialone Nano varieties keep the middle of the rice grain al dente longer than Arborio. They also absorb more liquid when cooking risotto.

This must be taken into account when preparing the dish.

IT IS FORBIDDEN wash the rice before cooking the risotto! Wash out the starch!

2) The taste of the risotto depends on the taste of the broth. Best or veal broth. They are the most neutral in taste. For seafood risotto, you can use fish.

The broth should always be hot before adding to the risotto. It needs to be brought to a boil and kept over low heat or just in a warm place.

The hot liquid helps extract the starch from the rice grain. And the cold liquid shocks the already heated rice, and the starch coagulates, which prevents the correct creamy consistency.

3) Passerovka: Onions are included in almost every risotto. It must first be fried, the aroma and sweetness extracted from it. Sometimes garlic is also added.

4) Additives:meat, fish and seafood, mushrooms are mainly added at the first stage of preparing risotto. It must be taken into account that the additional product must have a relatively short cooking time in order to cook along with the rice. On average, the dish takes 20-25 minutes to prepare. Gentle additions such as small shrimp, green peas, and asparagus tips should be added when the rice is halfway done.

5) Cheese: In Italy, Grana Padano cheese is traditionally added to risotto, and Parmesan is served grated to the table, for sprinkling.

For the simplest classic risotto:

For 2 persons:

200 grams of rice
1 l. broth
1 small onion
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
100 ml dry white wine

For mantecatura:

40 grams cold butter, cut into cubes
50 grams of grated hard cheese (Parmesan or Grana Padana is best)

Stages of preparing risotto:

1) Soffrito or sauté: Finely chopped onion is fried in olive oil, butter or a mixture of both, over low heat. If you want, add garlic too. The onion should soften and not brown. At the same stage, additions are added: cut into pieces meat, mushrooms, some vegetables and seafood.

2) Tostatura or roasting: At this stage, increase the heat to medium, add rice and stir vigorously. Each lynx should be wrapped in oil and fried. Thanks to this procedure, the rice absorbs the aroma of frying, warms up and maintains its shape throughout cooking. The stage ends with the infusion of wine. The acidity of the wine balances the taste of the starchy dish. Stir the rice vigorously until the wine has completely evaporated.

3) Stage of direct preparation of risotto: When the wine has evaporated, add ladle after ladle of broth. You're in the way. You need to stir, if not all the time, then at least often. Stirring helps the rice release starch, cook evenly, and absorb liquid. So the rice should reach the al dente stage. The rice should be firm and the consistency should be thick enough, but not too thick. Remove rice from heat and set aside for 1-2 minutes.

In our country, people still don’t particularly like risotto, considering it either rice porridge or something complex and incomprehensible. And it’s very in vain - after all, risotto is one of the main pillars of Italian cuisine, which has long been loved both here and throughout the world.

Yes: cooking in water or steaming. Risotto, contrary to popular belief, is not rice porridge or a type of pilaf, but a third method of heat treatment of rice. In this case, the rice is stewed in a frying pan or saucepan, constantly adding broth. The result is an incomparable dish, only similar in appearance to porridge.

In fact, in a proper risotto, the rice should be slightly glued together, but the inside should remain “al dente” - slightly tough. Real risotto should be neither liquid nor crumbly. Italians check its quality by lightly slapping the bottom of the plate with their palm. If a wave passes over the surface of the risotto, then the consistency is correct.

Preparing risotto-style rice is quick and easy if you follow a few simple rules: use only medium-grain varieties of rice, only fresh and high-quality products, and constantly monitor the process, stirring the rice without leaving it to chance.

Rice story

Rice appeared in Italy during the reign of the Doges, when the spice trade flourished; in the 15th century, Venetian merchants brought it from the Middle East. It is officially documented that rice appeared on Ferrara soil in 1475, when the ruler of Milan, Galeazzo Sforza, sent twelve bags of strange grains to the Duke of Ferrara. More nourishing than wheat, rice became a salvation for Northern Italy of that time, tormented by wars and plague. Since the 15th century, it began to be cultivated in the marshy lands in the vicinity of Ferrara, and since then it has become firmly established in the diet of the northerners. Now in this region it is more popular than the pasta typical of the sunny south.

Hero of the day

The most important component of risotto is, of course, rice. The main requirement for it is that it be medium-grain.

It is this type of rice that contains two types of starch: amylopectin and amylose.

Amylopectin is the starch found on the surface of the rice grain, it is soft, mixes quickly with water, and is what gives risotto its creamy texture by sticking the grains together. Amylose is hard and located inside the grain, and it is this that allows the rice grain to remain “al dente” when it is fully cooked.

For risotto, three varieties of rice are mainly used: Arborio, Carnaroli and Vialone nano. The most common is Arborio, and if you buy a package that simply says “Rice for risotto”, in 90% of cases it will be Arborio. Carnaroli is more difficult to find in Russia, but it is possible, but Vialone nano, unfortunately, is extremely rare. “Unfortunately” because these two varieties have a more refined and delicate taste and even more presentable appearance when finished.

Component Selection

For preparing risotto – their quality and freshness. , carrots and celery should not be soft and withered. The wine should be the kind that you would like to drink, and not use for cooking. And you should be sorry to even put cheese in a frying pan with rice!

The Italians themselves are very scrupulous in the choice of ingredients used, believing that the wine should only be dry, and the cheese should only be from the “grana” family, which contains peculiar crispy granules: Parmigiano Rigiano, Grana Padano or Trentingrana.

But Italian cuisine is regional. Each Italian village has its own unique recipe, so you can safely experiment: replace dry wine with champagne or even vermouth (as they do in the very north of Italy), and instead of canonical cheeses, add sheep, goat or even cheeses with white or blue mold. The same applies to butter, which is used at the end of cooking to glue the dish together. Departing from the canons, it can be replaced with heavy cream, mascarpone cheese, and some apostates even pour olive oil over the sacred risotto.

Ancient recipe

In the cookbook “Opera” by the famous Italian chef Bartolomeo Scappi, published in 1570, there are about 1000 recipes, among which is the following recipe for risotto: “Mix chicken meat, blood sausages, yolks. Cook rice in a decoction of capon, duck, and sausage. Do not cook until soft. Place in a pot made of clay, or silver, or tin and cover with cheese, sugar, cinnamon, on top put fresh butter and capon breast pulp, and duck meat, and blood sausages cut into pieces, then again cover with cheese, sugar, cinnamon and so on form three layers. Pour liquid melted butter over the top of the last layer. Place in the oven, not too hot, and keep there for about half an hour. Sprinkle with rose water and serve hot. You can prepare risotto in another way: put fresh, unsalted cheese in a bowl, sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon and grated dry cheese. Place rice on top, and fresh raw egg yolks on top of the rice, sugar and cinnamon on top of the yolks. Make two layers, you can make more layers. Pour some cow butter over it and put it in the oven.”

The secret of the broth

When preparing risotto, rice absorbs all the flavors from the liquids, so you need to approach the preparation of the broth very responsibly and slowly. Risotto is made with vegetable, beef, and fish broth, but the best choice is chicken. It absorbs perfectly into the rice grains without overpowering the rice with its flavor.

To prepare a good chicken broth, you will need a large four-liter saucepan, a gutted chicken, two onions, two carrots, a teaspoon of black peppercorns and a variety of herbs to taste. Herbs can be different: oregano, thyme, parsley with celery, and tarragon. Celery root and the green part of the leek complement the broth very well.

After cutting it into 8 parts (2 legs, 2 wings, body in half lengthwise and then crosswise), place it in a saucepan, fill with cold water and bring to a boil. Cut the peeled onion into 4 parts, cut the carrots into large pieces and fry everything together in a dry frying pan until scorched.

When the water in the pan boils, reduce the heat to low, and as soon as foam begins to form, scoop it off with a spoon. When the foaming stops, add vegetables and pepper to the pan and cook for 2 hours. Half an hour before the end of cooking, you can pour a glass of dry white wine into the pan, add aromatic herbs and add salt. Then the broth must be strained and, when it has cooled, all fat must be removed from its surface.

Prepare white risotto - This is a basic dish, on the basis of which you can make an endless number of variations. Fry the onion and garlic until translucent. Pour 400 g of rice into the pan in one circular motion and, stirring constantly, fry for 2-3 minutes until it is saturated with oil and becomes almost transparent. Then pour in a glass of wine and simmer the rice until the liquid is completely absorbed. Pour two ladles of hot broth into the pan and stir. You must repeat this ritual (pour in - stir) for the next 17 minutes. The basic principle is to constantly add broth (one ladle at a time), not allowing the rice to remain dry, and stir constantly. Remove the pan from the heat, add grated Parmesan and diced butter to the rice. Cover with a lid and let stand for 2 minutes. And you can serve!

Prepare risotto with porcini mushrooms. Boil 2 liters of chicken broth. Place 60 g of dried porcini mushrooms in a small saucepan, pour in a glass of prepared chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and leave for 30 minutes. Take out the mushrooms and chop them, pour the mushroom broth (without sediment) into a saucepan with broth and put it on the fire. Fry the onion in olive oil until translucent, add 300 g of rice and fry it for 3 minutes. Pour in a glass of dry white wine and mascara for another 3 minutes. Place the mushrooms, pour in two ladles of broth, stir and cook until the broth is absorbed. Without ceasing to stir the dish, continue to add a ladleful of broth for 17-20 minutes. Remove from heat, add grated Parmesan and butter, stir quickly. Cover with a lid and leave for 2 minutes. Then serve immediately.

Variations on a theme

If you have mastered white risotto, you can safely start experimenting with additional ingredients. They can be added directly to the pan with rice or fried separately and then mixed into the finished risotto.

You can add seafood directly to the pan - their cooking time coincides with the cooking time of the rice. But then there is no need to add cheese: Italians consider these things incompatible.

If you add green peas, you get Venetian risotto. And the famous one is to dissolve a couple of pinches of spice in a glass of hot broth and add it at the final stage of cooking.

Also, Milanese risotto is often prepared with bone marrow, on which onions and garlic are fried. This tradition dates back to the Renaissance, when this delicious dish was served on a bed of ox brain. And if you want a lighter and more refreshing recipe, prepare risotto by adding small pieces of zucchini or asparagus sprouts, finally mixing in the juice of half a lemon.

Risotto can be served not only on a plate - it is great for stuffing peppers or eggplants, making a pie filling from it, or baking risotto in the oven. Here you can only be limited by your imagination.

Make a risotto pie with fresh herbs. Cut the leek into half rings, fry in olive oil for 3 minutes, then add 300 g of rice and fry for 3 minutes. Add 200 ml of vermouth and carcass, stirring constantly until the rice has absorbed all the wine. Pour in two ladles of broth and cook, stirring constantly until the broth is absorbed. Without ceasing to stir the dish, continue to add a ladleful of broth for 17-20 minutes. Remove from heat, add lemon and orange zest, fresh thyme, 80 g mozzarella. Stir, place in a baking dish, cover with foil and bake for half an hour.

Berries and chocolate

But also dessert. It is made with cherries, cranberries, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, using both fresh and dried berries, with raisins, chestnuts, pumpkin and even chocolate.

In this case, risotto can be prepared either with chicken or vegetable broth, or with milk, berry broth, or simply clean water with the addition of white wine. This risotto is served both hot, on plates, and cold, in cocktail glasses.

Make cherry risotto. Fry the onion in melted butter until translucent, add 300 g of rice and fry it for 3 minutes. Add 300 g of halved cherries and 30 g of raisins, a glass of dry red wine and carcass until the wine has evaporated. Pour in two ladles of broth, stir and cook until the broth is absorbed. Without ceasing to stir the dish, continue to add a ladleful of broth for 17-20 minutes. Pour 50 ml of cream into the risotto, stir, cook for another 3 minutes. Sprinkle with toasted almonds before serving.

Italian cuisine has long been the main attraction of the republic, attracting the interest of millions of gourmets from all over the world. However, to learn how to prepare risotto, which has become a symbol of the northern part of the country, it is not at all necessary to cross foreign borders.

The first official mention of this most popular Italian dish was recorded in the Treatise on Cookery in the middle of the 19th century. Who exactly invented risotto has not been established for certain.

There is a story about a young glassblower who decided to use saffron not only in his craft, but also to add it to rice boiled for a wedding celebration. The effect exceeded all expectations - the grain became the main dish of the table, an ingredient that the best Italian masters still “conjure” today.

The varieties of the dish depend on the regions of the state.

Thus, the Piedmonese version is distinguished with the addition of meat and wine.
In Milan, they prepare a dish using bone marrow, seasoning the food with cheese and saffron.
Residents of Mantua supplemented their food with Parmesan and Mortadella (boiled sausage).

There is also a risotto with vegetables and mushrooms, and for lovers of liquid food, the cooks serve a thick, aromatic soup seasoned with pinchetta and green peas.

The dish, once invented, is so universal that every master who “puts” his culinary touch on the canvas of a culinary dish becomes the author of the created masterpiece.

Classic risotto recipe with white wine

Despite the many variations in the preparation of the dish, the Milanese version of the dish is recognized as traditional.

Product composition:

bone marrow (beef) - 60 g;
hot broth - 2 l;
rice (preferably varieties “Carnaroli”, “Arborio”, “Vialone Nano”) - 600 g;
white wine - 200 ml;
onion - ½ head;
oil (olive or butter) - 120 g;
shavings of grated cheese (“Grana Padano”, “Parmesan”) - 100 g;
saffron stigmas (ground packet) - 30 pcs.

Cooking method:

Melt the butter in a frying pan with high sides, fry the chopped onion and bone marrow in it. The vegetable should turn out soft and transparent.
Further add Italian rice, which should never be washed to preserve starch and obtain the dish of the required consistency.
Fry the grains until shiny, pour in wine, continue heating over high heat until the liquid evaporates. Alcohol will not only open the pores of each grain, but will also complement them with pleasant wine notes.
Pour in part of the hot broth, completely covering the amount of rice, add crushed saffron. We do not stir the mixture for two minutes, allowing the gluten to be completely released, then actively work with a wooden spatula.
The subsequent addition of portions of broth is done after the next part is completely absorbed by the rice.
Beat the butter, combine with grated Parmesan (Pecorino), add the composition to the almost finished dish.

In this way, Italians create a delicate creamy consistency in risotto. We always remember the classic cooking!

Cooking with chicken

Poultry is most often used to create “little rice,” as risotto is translated from Italian.

Dish ingredients:

black olives - 80 g;
chicken breasts - 800 g;
shavings of grated cheese - 100 g;
rice - 600 g;
bulb;
broth (vegetable or meat) - 2 l;
olive oil - 120 g;
paprika - 2 g.

Preparation:

Heat natural oil and fry the rice in it until a smooth film appears on it. Season the grains with paprika and the desired amount of salt. Add portions of broth using the original Italian technology until the grain is soft.
Saute finely chopped onion in olive oil, add the breast cut into cubes (2 cm) and process the product for up to 2 minutes over high heat.
Place the fried poultry meat into the almost finished rice and gently mix the mixture. Add shavings of cheese and place the food in the oven for 6 minutes (200°C).

Risotto aged in the oven acquired the magical taste of a truly Italian dish.

With seafood at home

We improve our knowledge with information about preparing healthy food with your favorite seafood.

Required components:

oysters and mussels - 400 g each;
peeled squid - 200 g each;
rice - 350 g;
wine (dry varieties) - 100 ml;
onion, clove of garlic, chili;
olive oil - 40 g;
fish broth - 250 ml;
carrots and celery - 1 pc.;
salt, parsley, pepper.

Cooking technology:

Cut the cleaned and washed squid into rings. Place the mussels in a frying pan and add 2 tablespoons of wine to them. We heat the shellfish until the shells open and remove them from the shells.
Chop the vegetables, fry in oil, add rice and wine. When the alcohol has evaporated, add the squid and chopped parsley, pour in the broth in portions, adding it as it is absorbed by the grain.
Place shrimp, mussels, squid and oysters in the dish. Season everything with pepper and salt, then remove from heat.

Seafood risotto will warm you up in the cold season and lift your spirits on the most cloudy, stormy days.

Risotto with mushrooms

List of ingredients:

porcini mushrooms - 300 g;
bulb;
rice - 300 g;
clove of garlic;
vegetable broth - 1 l;
oil (olive and butter) - 30 g each;
cheese - 60 g;
salt, pepper, parsley.

Step-by-step preparation:

Pour 2 liters of purified water into the pan. Place coarsely chopped onion, celery and carrots in it. Salt and boil the vegetables until tender, strain the fragrant broth.
Fry chopped garlic in oil. Place the mushrooms divided into plates on top, salt and pepper them. Cook for another 10 minutes until the product is golden brown.
In another frying pan, saute the chopped onion in oil. When it becomes soft, add rice, fry the grains for three minutes and pour in portions of the prepared broth.
Place the mushrooms in the almost finished rice and after 7 minutes. remove the container from the heat. Season the dish with grated cheese and the remaining butter, mix the aromatic mass thoroughly.

The presented dish will be a wonderful decoration for any holiday table.

Tender dish with minced meat

Very satisfying and appetizing food, vaguely reminiscent of our naval pasta. This is an equally tasty, simple and economical dish made from affordable products.

List of components:

a can of canned peas and tomatoes;
carrots and pickled cucumber;
homemade minced meat - 400 g;
rice - 200 g;
Parmesan cheese - 100 g;
butter - 50 g;
wine (Vermouth, Sherry) - 120 ml.

Cooking method:

Remove the peel from the pickled tomatoes and grind them in a blender along with the aromatic brine. Pour the resulting composition into the pan, after dripping a little oil into it. Add 500 ml of purified water, heat the tomato mass to a boil, reduce the heat to low.
Add oil to a large frying pan and heat. Place minced meat, chopped cucumber, carrots, pepper and salt in it. Cook for 10 minutes.
Add wine to the products, and after 2 minutes. add rice and even out the layer. Add 2 cups of hot tomato mixture. We continue the process by simmering, adding new portions of the tomato mixture until the grains become soft.

Season the finished risotto with chopped herbs, grated cheese and bright green peas. Mix all ingredients and serve hot.

How to cook in a slow cooker

To get the perfect dish in an electrical appliance, we use Arborio rice, which has a high starch content.

Required Products:

favorite mushrooms - 300 g;
rice - 360 g;
Parmesan cheese - 120 g;
garlic cloves - 2 pcs.;
olive oil - 100 ml;
onion;
Sherry (other wine) - 100 ml;
cream - 100 ml;
bouillon cube.

Cooking process:

Pour oil into the multicooker bowl, add diced onion and fry it for 10 minutes, setting the “Baking” mode.
Add the mushrooms cut into pieces and continue cooking for the same amount of time.
Then add the rice, heat the cereal for 2 minutes and pour in the wine.
Dissolve the broth cube in 800 ml of water and send the composition to the unit’s container after the alcohol has completely evaporated from there. Add cream, salt and pepper, chopped garlic. Simmer everything together for a quarter of an hour using the “Rice” program.

Season the prepared risotto with grated cheese and leave for 30 minutes.

The dish turned out luxurious - tender, creamy, pleasantly fluid. Like real Italians!

Vegetarian, with vegetables

Prudent masters of preparing risotto did not ignore the interests of people who prefer vegetarian food.

Ingredients:

yellow sweet pepper;
carrot;
rice - 300 g;
cheese shavings - 20 g;
eggplants and zucchini - 100 g each;
green peas - 60 g;
cherry tomatoes - 150 g;
vegetable broth - 1 l;
celery and onion;
wine - 50 ml;
regular sugar - 30 g;
olive oil - 200 ml;
salt pepper.

Preparing risotto:

We divide the cherry tomatoes in half. Chop the remaining vegetables (except onions) into small pieces of approximately the same size.
Simmer half the chopped onion in oil (butter and olive) until soft. After that, add blue zucchini, half of the carrots, sweet pepper, green peas and salt.
Fry the remaining part of the sweet root vegetable, the second half of the onion and celery separately for 10 minutes. Add rice, heat it slightly and pour in wine. After the alcohol has evaporated, add portions of the broth.
When the cereal has absorbed the required amount of liquid, place halves of miniature tomatoes in it and mix the food, sprinkling with shavings of cheese and chopped parsley.

The risotto with vegetables turned out incredibly tasty and nutritious. The nutritional and energy value of the dish is at the highest level!

a pinch of saffron, salt, pepper.

Cooking method:

Fry finely chopped onion until soft in a mixture of oils along with whole cloves of garlic.
Remove the hot pieces from the pan, put the rice in their place and heat the grains for 7 minutes. After this, pour in a glass of water or broth, season with salt, saffron, and pepper. Next, we proceed as usual, adjusting the amount of liquid by the degree of evaporation and the readiness of the cereal.
The shrimp recipe allows for the use of an alcoholic component. We already know how to do this from the classic method of making risotto with white wine.
Continue cooking, constantly stirring the dish. When the rice reaches the desired condition, add salmon, shrimp and greens cut into medium pieces.

Warm all the ingredients together for another 5 minutes, then serve the hot dish, enjoying its spicy taste.

Risotto with corn and peas

Ingredients:

rice - 150 g;
peas and corn (canned) - 150 g each;
chilli;
onion head;
broth - 300 ml;
2 cm ginger root;
vegetable oil.

Cooking process:

Finely chop the onion and heat it in oil along with a piece of chopped ginger.
After 3 minutes, place the risotto rice in the frying pan, pour in a third of the broth (chicken or vegetable) and mix the mixture. Very quickly, the small grains, as if alive, will begin to increase in size, actively absorbing aromatic moisture.
After 7 minutes, add the rest of the liquid. We supplement the dish with corn, peas and chopped chili. Season everything with salt and pepper, Provençal herbs and spices. Simmer the food until the rice is completely cooked.

The contrast of the colorful ingredients that make up the risotto is reminiscent of a bright spring lawn. Just like in the Italian Dolomites.

Unusual recipe with cuttlefish ink

Despite the fact that we are already accustomed to exotic dishes, the very name of this dish can put a person, figuratively speaking, into a short-term stupor. The exit from this state will come very quickly and will be extremely pleasant!

Ingredients:

fish broth - 500 ml;
onion and clove of garlic;
shrimp (large) and scallops - 5 pcs.;
olive oil - 300 ml;
rice “Viola” - 250 g;
cuttlefish ink - 1 tbsp. l.;
lemon juice - 1 tsp;
salt pepper.

Prepare an unusual risotto:

Saute chopped garlic and chopped onion in oil.
When the vegetables become soft, add seafood and heat everything together for another 5 minutes. Place a few scallops and shrimp in a bowl for decoration.
Next, add rice and cuttlefish ink to the semi-finished ingredients, pour in some of the broth and prepare our unusual dish in the traditional way. The grains should reach the state of al dente (“to the tooth”), as the Italians say.
Serve the dish in a deep plate, garnish it with shrimp and scallops.

Italian chefs, the true guardians of national traditions, know best how to prepare risotto according to ancient motifs. However, they also allow themselves to “adjust” the ancient recipe. Why don’t we show a little intelligent initiative and imagination to make our modest contribution to the never-ending culinary process.

There is no classic risotto recipe. The constant components of this dish are rice and broth. But other ingredients may vary.

However, there are a few general rules for preparing risotto that need to be followed.

10 secrets to perfect risotto

For risotto, you need to choose round, starchy varieties of rice. The best varieties are considered to be Arborio, Carnaroli, Baldo and Vialone Nano. Sometimes manufacturers specifically indicate on rice packages that it is suitable for risotto.
At the beginning of cooking, onions are almost always fried. It should soften but not brown.
Add rice to the onion and fry it for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. The grains should be saturated with oil and become translucent.
Dry white wine is almost always added to risotto. It gives the dish a special aroma. But if you don't want to use alcohol, just replace it with broth.
Vegetable broth is also suitable for any risotto. Sometimes mushroom, fish or beef will be appropriate. In extreme cases, the broth can be replaced with water with bouillon cubes dissolved in it.
The broth must be hot, but not boiling.
The liquid must be added in parts - about one ladle at a time. The next portion is poured in after the previous one has evaporated. In this case, you need to stir the rice often and cook over low heat.
It takes approximately 20-25 minutes to cook the rice. The grains of rice should remain slightly stiff, but the risotto itself should have a creamy consistency. If it turns out a little dry, add more broth.
The broth and Parmesan, which is almost always added to risotto, are quite salty. Therefore, you need to salt the finished dish carefully.
Once cooked, cover the risotto and let sit for 3-5 minutes. Serve hot.

Ingredients:

1 liter of chicken broth;
1 teaspoon saffron;
1 onion;
200 g rice;
100 ml dry white wine;
50 g parmesan;
salt is optional.

Preparation

Heat the broth and add saffron to it. Heat olive oil and a tablespoon of butter in a saucepan. Fry finely chopped onion until soft.

Add rice to the onion and fry for a couple of minutes. Pour in the wine and stir until it is absorbed into the rice. Gradually pour in the saffron broth.

Add the remaining butter and grated cheese and mix the risotto well. Add salt if necessary.

Ingredients:

300 g mushrooms (champignons or porcini);
1 tablespoon olive oil;
2 tablespoons butter;
1 onion;
200 g rice;
50 ml dry white wine;
1 liter of chicken, mushroom or vegetable broth;
1 clove of garlic;
several sprigs of parsley;
50 g parmesan;
salt is optional.

Preparation

Cut the mushrooms into thin slices and place in a frying pan with heated olive oil. Fry until the mushrooms are browned.

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add finely chopped onion and fry until soft. Add rice and cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes.

Pour wine into the saucepan. When it is absorbed into the rice, gradually pour in the hot broth. Then add chopped garlic, fried mushrooms, chopped parsley, grated Parmesan and salt and mix well.

howsweeteats.com

Ingredients:

450 g chicken thighs without skin and bones;
salt - to taste;
2 tablespoons olive oil;
1 onion;
3 cloves of garlic;
300 g rice;
200 ml dry white wine;
1 liter of chicken broth;
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest;
30 g parmesan;
several sprigs of basil;
a few sprigs of parsley.

Preparation

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. You can use other seasonings to suit your taste. Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and fry for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown. Cool and cut into small pieces.

Melt butter in a saucepan and fry finely chopped onion until soft. Add chopped garlic and fry for another minute. Add rice to vegetables and lightly fry.

Pour wine and hot broth into the rice little by little. Then add lemon zest, grated Parmesan, chicken, some chopped herbs and salt (if necessary). Before serving, sprinkle the risotto with the remaining herbs.

delish.com

Ingredients:

1 onion;
4 cloves of garlic;
200 g rice;
950 ml chicken broth;
350 ml dry white wine;
2 lemons;
several sprigs of parsley;
1 teaspoon ground red pepper;
450 g peeled shrimp;
salt - to taste;
100 g parmesan.

Preparation

Melt one tablespoon of butter in a saucepan. Cut the onion into small cubes and fry in oil until soft. Add one minced garlic clove and cook for a couple more minutes.

Add rice to vegetables and stir-fry for several minutes. Pour hot broth and 250 ml of wine into the saucepan in parts.

In another frying pan, melt the remaining butter. Add three crushed cloves of garlic, the juice of two lemons, some chopped parsley and red pepper and cook, stirring, for two minutes.

Place the shrimp in the pan, season with salt and fry over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Pour in the remaining wine and bring to a boil.

Add the shrimp along with the sauce and grated Parmesan to the rice and mix well. Add salt if necessary. Before serving, sprinkle the risotto with chopped parsley.

bbcgoodfood.com

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter;
1 onion;
250 g rice;
100 ml dry white wine;
1 liter of vegetable or fish broth;
250 g smoked mackerel;
a few green onions;
100 g spinach;
salt is optional.

Preparation

Melt the butter in a saucepan and fry the chopped onion in it. Add rice and fry for a couple of minutes.

Gradually pour wine and hot broth into rice. Then add the fish, cut into small pieces, chopped green onions and spinach and stir.

Cook a little longer until the spinach softens. Add salt to risotto if necessary.

jamieoliver.com

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter;
1 onion;
100 g bacon;
1 bunch of fresh thyme;
400 g rice;
150 ml dry white wine;
1 liter of chicken or vegetable broth;
200 g frozen peas;
salt - optional;
ground black pepper - to taste;
100 g goat cheese;
75 g parmesan.

Preparation

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add finely chopped onion, small pieces of bacon and thyme and cook for a few minutes until the onion softens. Add rice and fry lightly.

Gradually pour wine and almost all of the hot broth into the rice. Add peas, remaining broth, salt and pepper. Remove the pan from the heat, add half the goat cheese and Parmesan and stir. Sprinkle the remaining cheeses over the risotto before serving.

nytimes.com

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant;
800 g tomatoes;
salt - to taste;
a few sprigs of fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon of dried thyme;
1 onion;
1 clove of garlic;
250 g rice;
100 ml dry white wine;
1½ liters vegetable or chicken broth;
ground black pepper - to taste;
30 g parmesan.

Preparation

Line a baking sheet with foil and brush with a spoonful of oil. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise, make several cuts at the cut points and place the vegetables on a baking sheet. Bake at 230°C for about 20 minutes.

Cut the tomatoes and cooled eggplants into small cubes. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan, add vegetables and add salt and thyme. Cook, stirring, for 10–15 minutes until the tomatoes are soft.

Heat the remaining oil in a saucepan and fry the finely chopped onion. Add chopped garlic and cook for a couple more minutes. Then place the rice in a saucepan and lightly fry.

Pour wine over rice. When it has evaporated, add the vegetable mixture and stir. Gradually pour in the hot broth. Add pepper, grated Parmesan, salt if necessary and stir.

jamieoliver.com

Ingredients:

1 onion;
1 clove of garlic;
2 celery stalks;
1 tablespoon butter;
1–2 teaspoons olive oil;
2 small zucchini;
800 ml vegetable broth;
1 bunch of basil;
300 g rice;
200 ml dry white wine;
250 g mozzarella;
40 g parmesan;
salt - optional;
ground black pepper - to taste;
1 red chili pepper.

Preparation

Cut the onion, garlic and celery into small cubes. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add olive oil, chopped vegetables and some water. Cook, stirring, about 5 minutes until the vegetables soften.

Cut the zucchini lengthwise into quarters and cut each into small pieces. Heat the vegetable broth, add the basil stems, simmer for a few minutes and remove the stems. They are only needed for flavor.

Place rice in a saucepan, stir and fry for about a minute. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until the rice has absorbed it. Gradually pour in ⅔ of the broth, then add the zucchini and add the remaining broth in parts.

Remove risotto from heat. Add half the finely chopped basil leaves, mozzarella pieces, half the grated Parmesan, salt and pepper. Stir and leave covered for a couple of minutes.

Remove seeds from chili and cut into small pieces. Before serving, sprinkle the risotto with chili pepper, remaining basil leaves and grated cheese.

bbcgoodfood.com

Ingredients:

1 kg pumpkin pulp;
1 bunch of fresh sage;
3 tablespoons olive oil;
3 tablespoons butter;
1 onion;
300 g rice;
100 ml dry white wine;
1½ liters vegetable broth;
50 g parmesan;
salt is optional.

Preparation

Cut the pumpkin into small cubes. Chop half the sage leaves. Place the squash and chopped sage on a baking sheet, spoon over the oil and toss to combine. Bake for 30 minutes at 220°C until the pumpkin is soft.

Meanwhile, melt half the butter in a saucepan. Fry finely chopped onion until soft. Add rice and stir-fry for a few minutes. Gradually pour wine and hot broth into rice.

In another pan, heat the remaining olive oil, add the sage leaves and fry until slightly crisp. Place the sage on a paper towel to drain excess oil.

Puree half of the roasted pumpkin. Add pumpkin puree, remaining butter and grated Parmesan to the rice and mix thoroughly. Add salt if necessary. Before serving, garnish the risotto with pumpkin pieces and sage leaves.

webspoon.ru

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter;
1 onion;
120 g rice;
100 ml dry white wine;
500 ml vegetable broth;
300 g pears;
60 g blue cheese;
20 g parmesan;
salt is optional.

Preparation

Melt butter in a saucepan and fry finely chopped onion. Add rice and fry for a few more minutes.

Gradually pour in the wine and most of the hot broth. Peel and seed the pears and cut into small pieces. Add the pears and remaining broth to the rice and cook until the fruit has softened.

Add the blue cheese pieces and grated Parmesan and mix thoroughly. Salt the risotto if necessary.