How to Make Basic Risotto

Risotto is a creamy Italian rice dish. You can add a multitude of things to this basic recipe to give it your own personal touch. Serves six people as a side dish.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Chef's Knives
• Rubber Spatula
• Saucepans
• Wooden Spoons
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1/2 c. white wines
• 1/4 tsp. white pepper
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. salt depending on preference
• 2 c. heavy creams
• 1 small onions - peeled and minced
• 2 c. Arborio rice
• 1 tbsp. olive (not virgin) oil
• 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheeses
• 4 c. chicken broths or vegetable broth

1. Put the broth in a saucepan and heat to a gentle simmer on the stove.
2. Heat half the butter and the oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the onion and cook for 3 minutes.
3. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains well with the butter and oil. Cook for another minute while stirring gently.
4. Set your kitchen timer to 18 minutes.
5. Add the wine, stir and let it cook until the wine is almost completely absorbed by the rice. Add 1/4 c. broth and stir frequently until it is almost completely absorbed.
6. Continue adding the broth, 1/4 c. at a time, until it is gone. You should be adding the last 1/4 c. of broth right around when the timer goes off.
7. Taste the rice. It should be tender yet firm to the bite, rather like al dente pasta. If it's too hard, keep adding broth or water until it's done.
8. With the last addition of broth, also stir in the remaining butter, salt, pepper and cheese.
9. If you run out of broth before the timer sounds, add more broth or water until you hear the timer.
10. Serve right away.

Tips & Warnings

• Always use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula when cooking risotto. Hard metal or plastic tools will crack the grains of rice and change the texture of the risotto.
• Italian short-grain rice is essential for good risotto; Arborio is the most common variety.
• Do not rinse the rice prior to cooking. The starch is essential to ensuring a creamy texture in the risotto.
• Keep your broth simmering as you make the risotto; cold broth will lower the cooking temperature too much. The risotto itself should also be at a gentle simmer throughout the cooking process.