Unlike paella, a risotto needs constant stirring, it’s all about knowing what the risotto rice needs and when it needs it. Patience is a virtue so they say and a good risotto needs a good stock and plenty of patience.
With practice you can develop an easy style of stirring and adding stock just as the rice absorbs the moisture in the pan. What you are after is that creamy texture that a good arborio rice gives to your finished risotto.
👨🍳 Recipe Tips
If I can give you one tip above all others for a perfect risotto make sure your stock is kept warm. The rice will absorb the stock faster and this will improve the texture greatly.
Use Arborio Rice For Risotto
For an authentic risotto it is essential to use arborio rice. This rice absorbs more liquid and produces that lovely plump creamy texture while still having that “al dente” firmness.
You toast the rice first for a couple of minutes in a little butter and then while cooking it absorbs all those lovely flavours from the pan, the stock and the cheese.
Arborio rice stems from the Piedmont region of Italy and it is a short-medium grain rice unlike the long grain rices used in asian and Indian cooking.
When using Arborio rice don’t rinse it beforehand like we normally do with other rices. In a risotto or pudding we need the starch to help give that creamy texture unlike the separate grains we prefer with our curries.
Mushroom Risotto
Ingredients
- 8 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 lb button mushrooms rinsed, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 4 thyme sprigs leaves stripped
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter divided
- kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups arborio rice
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ½ oz Parmesan finely grated (about 1 cup)
- ¾ cup frozen peas thawed
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
Conversions
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the stock to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low to keep warm.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat oil. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 7 minutes.
- Add mushrooms, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and 1 Tbsp. butter. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are softened and golden brown, 10 to 15 more minutes; season with salt and pepper. Transfer the mushroom mixture to a medium bowl.
- In same pot over medium heat, melt remaining 1 tbsp butter. Add rice and cook, stirring, until grains are coated and smell slightly toasty, about 2 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring frequently, until wine has mostly absorbed, about 3 minutes.
- Using a ladle, add about 1 cup of the stock. Cook, stirring often, until rice has mostly absorbed the liquid, 3 to 5 minutes. Continue to add the stock about 1 cup at a time, letting the rice absorb each addition of stock before adding more. Stir often and cook until risotto is al dente and creamy, not mushy, 20 to 25 minutes total. (You might not need all the broth.)
- Return mushroom mixture to pot and stir to combine. Stir in Parmesan and peas until cheese melts. Top with parsley.
You may also like one of my other favourite recipes …
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Grandads Cookbook is a collection of recipes from various sources including many of my own reproduced here for convenience. Recipes are accredited to their original author where known and links are provided to any online source materials.
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