Risotto – a beautiful mess

Risotto is one of those recipes that I’ve made so many times over the years that I could actually cook it in my sleep. Although it’s common on fine restaurant menus, traditional Italian risotto is actually very easy to make, inexpensive, and, IMO, downright comfort food. This classic risotto recipe is creamy, cheesy, and not too different from your childhood favorite, macaroni and cheese.

Stir well and your risotto is ready! This is a simple dish of rice cooked on the stovetop with broth, wine, cream and cheese. There are about a million ways to add flavor or spice to this basic dish. But what you’ll find in the recipe card below are what I consider classic and standard, and where to start if you’re not sure. I will also list other recipes you can use along with this. But most of the time, we serve risotto with steak at our house.

relevant: If you like this basic recipe, next time try pumpkin risotto, risotto primavera, stuffed risotto, mushroom risotto and learn how to bake risotto in the oven.

ingredient

• arborio rice
• Chicken stock or chicken broth
• Dry white wine, such as Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc
• Unsalted butter – or olive oil
• shallot
• garlic
• salt
• pepper
• parmesan cheese
• Cream – I usually use half and half.
• Fresh herbs – thyme, rosemary, chives, etc. (optional)

guideline

Prepare by finely chopping shallots, mince garlic, grate cheese and measure out broth and wine.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Cook until the onions are soft and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Then add rice and garlic and stir. Cook for a few more minutes until the rice looks translucent.

Add half a cup of liquid (stock and wine) to the pan, stir until boiling, and cook with rice. When it’s almost gone, add half a cup more. Continue until all the liquid has been used. Then take a few grains of rice out of the pan and test for doneness. You can cook it softer or harder as you like.

Once the rice is cooked, add the cheese and cream and mix. If you are using chopped fresh herbs, you can add them now. Once mixed and everything is warm, taste and add more salt and pepper if you think it’s needed. Serve warm.

Tips and Notes

• Arborio rice is the rice used in risotto. Other short-grain rice would also work, but this method may take longer to cook, may require more or less liquid to cook through, and may not have the creamy, little dumpling effect that risotto is known for. It doesn’t.
• Some chefs recommend heating the stock and wine as you cook. The idea is that the stock and wine will dissolve into the rice more quickly, shortening cooking time. In my experience this doesn’t make much of a difference and is hard to achieve so I skip it.
• I like to cook risotto in a large (wide) pot or large skillet. Because I think this actually helps the rice cook faster, unlike in a pot.
• Use the wine you want to drink! In this recipe, I don’t use the whole jar, or even close it. So you can reduce waste by serving leftovers with dinner or buying single servings (small boxes).
• If you don’t have chicken stock or broth, you can also use water and chicken bouillon cubes.
• An easy way to change up the flavor – you can use beef stock or seafood stock instead of chicken stock or broth. Try swapping white wine for a dry red wine. In addition to shallots, use a variety of onions such as red onions or sweet white onions. If serving with carne asada, use a variety of fresh herbs to match what you are serving, such as fresh parsley or cilantro. You can replace Parmesan with almost any cheese, such as Gruyere, sharp cheddar, Havarti, or a soft cheese like Brie. I once had risotto with sour apples and brie cheese at a restaurant, and it was delicious!
• Besides salt and pepper, you can also add more spices or seasonings, such as oregano, cayenne for heat, turmeric, saffron for flavor and color, etc.
• To add color and flavor, add cooked vegetables or vegetable purees to the risotto, such as pureed carrots, butternut squash, cooked mushrooms, or greens like broccoli.
• Finish the dish with a squeeze of lemon juice or other citrus juice.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least 3 days. Heat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Food to go with risotto