Risotto is a culinary symbol of northern Italy. How to cook risotto at home, classic recipe How to cook risotto at home

Probably, all products that come to Italy are transformed into special dishes in the hands of experienced Italian chefs. Italian espresso coffee, tomatoes and numerous sauces based on them, corn and Asian rice began a completely different life on the shores of Italy. Risotto is perhaps one of the brightest examples of this. This simple dish, which takes about 30 minutes to prepare, resembles pilaf and has just as many cooking options.

Risotto cannot be called an ancient dish, but it has organically entered Italian cooking. First of all, the Italian origin of the dish is revealed by the method of preparation and the presence of your favorite olive oil. Risotto seems like a complicated dish and impossible to prepare at home, but we will show you that this is not so and tell you how to cook risotto. In Italy, risotto is prepared at home, and what’s more, every home prepares it differently. There are dozens of options - with seafood, meat, poultry, fish and vegetables, in various broths, with varying degrees of rice readiness, but it is always tasty and with minimal loss of the beneficial properties of the products.

The opinion that cooking risotto requires constant attention is not entirely true. The only condition for successful cooking is constant stirring, the rest is not difficult, and if you have helpers, then cooking risotto will be quick. In order to prepare everything correctly, you will need to learn the basic principles of cooking, but in any case, everyone’s risotto turns out unique.

So, how to cook risotto, you will need: two pans (for rice and for liquid), a plastic or wooden spatula.

Ingredients: rice, garlic, butter, onion, filling (meat, fish, seafood, mushrooms). Cooking time: about 30 minutes.

There are two main types of rice - long grain fluffy and round sticky. For risotto you need it to be sticky. This type of rice is not very popular due to the fact that when cooked, the rice grains stick together into a mush, which is then difficult to do anything decent with. As a last resort, it is used in soups and, of course, round rice is the basis of Japanese rolls and sushi. Round varieties of rice contain a lot of arnilopectin starch, which binds the grains together when cooked. Risotto rice is not rinsed because it washes away the starch. Starch is better released at a low boiling point (when the liquid does not gurgle, but rather trembles) and with stirring. This means that for successful cooking you will need a burner with good flame control. By good we mean minimal heating with the possibility of easy adjustments.

Italians use different fats to cook risotto. So, in the north of Italy they use butter, and in the south - olive oil. The broth for cooking should ideally be chicken, but this is a conditional rule, and the broth can be vegetable or a mixture of vegetables with juices after frying meat or tomato juice. You can come up with your own broth. You can enhance the aroma of the future dish by adding pieces (trimmings) of the main filling to the broth.

Here is a basic recipe for how to make risotto with step-by-step explanations:

Ingredients (for 4 servings):
400 g rice,
1 liter of broth or water,
1 clove of garlic,
2 onions,
100 ml vermouth,
150 ml white wine,
50 g butter (unsalted)
75 ml olive oil,
75 g parmesan,
1 tbsp. whipped cream or mascarpone cheese,
salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation:
Heat the broth to a simmer over low heat, but do not let it boil. Heat the olive oil in another pan and, stirring continuously, add the rice. The rice will crackle when fried. Continue stirring and when a nutty aroma appears, add the onion, garlic and half the butter to the rice. Reduce the heat and, continuing to stir, fry the rice for another 5 minutes. Pour white wine into the rice and, again, without ceasing to stir, reduce by half. Add vermouth and reduce again. Throughout cooking, do not stop stirring - the quality of the dish depends on it.

Add broth from the first pan to the rice in small portions (with a large spoon or ladle). Make sure that the rice does not stick to the walls or bottom of the pan! Add more broth until you feel you have enough (the risotto should resemble a thick soup). If there is not enough broth, urgently boil water and add it (or it is better to have boiled water ready, for example in a thermos).

The cooking time for rice depends on whether you like rice with hard kernels (al dente) or well-cooked. When cooking rice, do not forget that it must maintain its structure and not turn into mush - this will be wrong. Keeping the rice at the boiling point without letting it boil, stir constantly while adding broth. Avoid the other extreme, where insufficient temperature prevents the starch from being extracted from the rice. Remove the risotto from the heat a little more liquid than expected. Add butter to the risotto and let sit on the stove for a few minutes. At this time, the rice will absorb excess liquid. The last stage of preparation is the introduction of Parmesan and butter, which are whisked into the risotto, everything is intensively mixed until a viscous state is achieved. At this stage, you can add additional cream or mascarpone cheese, olive oil, pepper, salt and lemon juice to the risotto.

Cauliflower goes great with risotto. Try cooking

Cabbage veloute puree.

Ingredients:
600 g cauliflower flowers,
a pinch of curry
90 ml heavy cream,
90 ml 2.5% milk,
90 ml chicken broth,
2 tbsp. tablespoons chopped chives (chives),
cocoa.

Preparation:
Boil 500 g of curried cabbage in broth, pour into a food processor or blender. Let cool and grind to puree, adding cream and milk. Rub the puree through a sieve, transfer to another pan and simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes until the taste of raw cream disappears. Prepare the risotto according to the basic recipe and a few minutes before it is ready, beat in the cabbage puree, Parmesan and butter. Add chopped chives, salt and add ground black pepper. To serve, sprinkle with fresh cauliflower florets and cocoa powder.

There are proven combinations of how to prepare risotto with vegetables, which are very good for the first preparations due to their simplicity, for example:

Risotto with green peas

The pea filling is prepared in a similar way to the cauliflower and is combined with the risotto prepared according to the basic recipe.

Ingredients:
400 g peas,
75 g butter,
salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation:
If you have the opportunity to get fresh peas, then this is very good - use them, if not, it doesn’t matter, you can safely use frozen ones. Thaw peas at room temperature (do not use ovens or special heat). Grind the peas in a food processor or blender until pureed. Pass the resulting mass through a sieve or a special vegetable press. Heat the puree in butter in a small saucepan. Salt and pepper. Do not overheat the puree - it should be hot enough, but not lose its fresh green color. The finished puree can be added to the risotto or allowed to cool, covered with film and stored in the refrigerator. Can be used within 2-3 days, gently reheating the portion.

Remember the basic rules for making risotto: stir continuously and ensure that the broth is at the boiling point, but not boiling.

Buon appetito!

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 once-invented dish 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 recipe for risotto 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 high-sided frying pan and 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 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 portion 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, carefully stir the aromatic mass.

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

Tender dish with minced meat

Very nourishing 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 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 and 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.

Risotto is one of the culinary symbols of Italy, along with pizza and spaghetti. Risotto is prepared from certain varieties of rice with different additives; the method of preparing risotto is important; it is thanks to this that risotto becomes an incredibly tasty dish, and not just a simple rice porridge. A simple recipe for making risotto, if you know and follow the cooking technology.

They say that risotto appeared by chance, one cook, while cooking rice soup, was distracted by something, and when he returned to his dish, all the liquid had boiled away, and in the pan a surprisingly tender and creamy texture of rice mixture with vegetables was obtained. The first recipes for risotto appeared around the 16th century, but now there are more than a thousand recipes for risotto; it is prepared not only with vegetables and meat, but also with fruits. To prepare risotto at home, you need to follow a few simple rules and then the evening of Italian food will be a success!

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How to cook risotto secrets of a simple recipe at home

To prepare a classic risotto, you need to know several important features:

The main ingredient of risotto is rice. To prepare risotto at home, Italian housewives use only rice varieties: arborio, carnaroli and vialone nano. In our case, the ideal option is to buy rice labeled “for risotto” in a store, but this rice will be expensive. There is an alternative, you can use regular round rice. In order for round rice to become suitable for preparing risotto, it must be soaked for three hours, then drain the water and rinse the rice thoroughly;

The second important ingredient in risotto: broth. The broth can be fish, meat, vegetable; in the classic risotto recipe, chicken broth. The broth must be cooked in good water with the addition of root vegetables. And it’s also good to add a bouquet garni: parsley, thyme and bay leaf, diluted with tarragon, basil, rosemary, thyme and savory. This way the broth will be rich and flavorful. It’s good to add a sprig of tarragon to chicken broth before cooking, and a sprig of dill will go well with seafood broth;

The third important ingredient of risotto: cheese, it also has certain requirements; in the classic recipe, the following types of cheese are used: hard grainy Parmesan or Grana Padano. In our case, it is possible to replace the cheese with the one that is available in our stores: sour cream, Russian, Dutch and soft blue cheese. Italians do not add cheese to seafood risotto, because... consider these products to be incompatible;

The fourth essential ingredient of risotto: dry white wine, and there can be no compromises here;

The secret ingredient to the classic risotto recipe: saffron. Just 2-3 stamens of the spice are dipped into the prepared broth or dry wine until the color of the liquid changes to orange, this will take some time;

If you are preparing risotto not from seafood and there is cheese in the risotto recipe, then it is better not to add too much salt to the dish, because. Well-aged cheeses have a slightly salty and spicy taste. Before serving, taste the risotto and add salt if necessary;

Only butter is added to risotto, not olive oil;

Risotto is cooked in a frying pan rather than a saucepan.

Risotto classic recipe

Ingredients:

chicken broth - 5.5 cups,

rice for risotto - 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, ground black pepper - to taste.

Cooking method:

1. Dissolve saffron in wine.

2. Bring the pre-prepared broth to a boil and do not open the lid so as not to cool it.

3. Fry the chopped mushrooms and onion in olive oil until softened for about 5 minutes, so that the onion retains its color.

4. Add the rice to the frying pan with the onions and mushrooms and stir for a minute.

5. Pour the wine with dissolved saffron into the pan with rice and vegetables, cook until the rice has absorbed all the liquid.

6. Add one ladle of broth to the rice until the previous one has completely evaporated. Do this until you have poured all the broth into the risotto. You will need about 25 minutes for this; the finished risotto will resemble something between rice soup and rice porridge.

7. Add salt, cooled butter cut into cubes, add to the risotto, and also add parmesan grated on a coarse grater. Mix everything and you can serve.

Risotto does not take long to prepare - 25-30 minutes, but at the same time requires close attention. In order for everything to work out correctly, you won’t be able to evade the stove during the cooking process - you need to constantly look into the pan, monitor the amount of liquid and carefully stir the contents. If you are not lazy, you can enjoy the great taste of real Italian risotto!

In the Middle Ages, the famous Italian dish risotto began to be prepared in Italy. Its main component is rice. The varieties were grown as round- and medium-grain, they did not require a large amount of water.

“If you want to know the secret of real risotto, first remember the spell: arborio, vialone nano, carnaroli,” Italian chefs strongly recommend. The advice, I must say, is extremely useful: after all, all these unfamiliar words are the names of medium-grain varieties of rice, which during the cooking process acquire a velvety structure and a delicate creamy taste.

The most common variety is the Arborio variety. These are the grains that are needed for risotto. His name comes from the name of one of the cities in the province of Vercelli in the north-west of the country. In the wide translucent grain of Arborio rice, you can see the opaque core of the grain. When cooked, this rice acquires a creamy appearance and absorbs the taste and aroma of other components of the dish. Arborio rice is very soft and easy to overcook, so experts recommend removing the dish from the heat until the rice is completely cooked - then the rice will cook on its own in a few minutes, but the grains will retain their shape.

Risotto is prepared with seafood, vegetables, hot peppers, meat, often chicken, herbs, ham, and mushrooms. The dish is seasoned with basil, saffron, parmesan and served with dry wine, which is also added to the risotto.

To cook delicious risotto, you don’t have to be Italian; it’s important to know a few rules.

First- proper frying of rice in oil, second- gradually adding liquid and wine, and third- constant stirring with a paddle, as well as compliance with all cooking technologies.

Basic risotto recipe (classic)

Ingredients:

chicken breast or beef on the bone (for broth) 700 g (you should prepare a little more than a liter of broth for this recipe)
1.5 cups arborio rice
2-3 tbsp. l. olive oil
1 thin glass of dry white wine
3-4 tbsp. l. 10% cream
1 onion (large)
Parmigiano cheese 70 g
salt, white ground pepper
1-2 tsp. lemon juice

Cooking method:

Boil the broth, strain, leave on the stove. While the broth is warm, start preparing the risotto.
Heat olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan, fry chopped onion in it until translucent, add rice. Mix well and fry for 2 minutes.

When the rice has absorbed the wine, add a little broth and lemon juice. Stir. Next, add the broth in parts: if it is absorbed into the rice, add it, if it is absorbed, add it, and so on for 15 minutes.

Turn off the stove, let the risotto stand for 3 minutes on a warm stove (for the grains to fully ripen), add cream, sprinkle with Parmigiano, place on a plate and serve after a minute.

Seafood, vegetables, mushrooms, herbs are used as additional ingredients.

So, for cooking:

fish risotto and seafood we need broth made from fish. Fish, shrimp and mussels are added 10 minutes before the rice is ready.
vegetable risotto (zucchini, broccoli). Zucchini is cut into cubes, broccoli is divided into small inflorescences. Vegetables are fried in oil and added at the very end, 3-4 minutes before readiness.
mushroom risotto the same thing, mushrooms (usually boletus, but champignons can be used) are fried in oil and added at the end.
green risotto (parsley, basil) . Parsley is chopped and added along with cheese and basil.
pink risotto (with tomatoes). At the end, diced tomatoes are added and sprinkled with basil. Finely chopped sweet peppers (of different colors) are also added.
chicken risotto You can use boiled meat (from broth), but the tastiest thing is to add chicken breast fried separately in butter to the risotto. It should be added halfway through the cooking process.

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 simply 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 needs to be fried first, to extract the aroma and sweetness 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.