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Making Risotto

Mastering the Art of Making Risotto

By Ann Martin

For those of us that spend a lot of time in the kitchen, there are those staple meals that we just know how to make with ease. We tend to resort to these meals because we typically have the ingredients on hand and we roughly know how long the meal takes to prepare. But it doesn't take much to add a new recipe to your meal rotation, just a little time and practice is all you really need to start expanding your culinary knowledge.

One side dish that will truly make any meal gourmet is risotto. This side dish is becoming increasingly popular. So much so, that sometimes risotto is served as a decadent appetizer. Many of us who enjoy to cook, may be a bit intimated to make risotto. We know that the cooking process is quite intense. But with these simple tips and techniques, risotto will surely be added into your list of staple foods.

1. Be sure to use an Italian short-grain rice for your risotto. Arborio is a popular and common Italian short-grain rice that is readily available at most supermarkets.

2. Before beginning to make your risotto, be sure to have all the needed ingredients on hand and in an area very close to the stove. This allows you then to keep a close eye on the risotto and you are cooking it, without fumbling around the kitchen looking for more broth or other ingredients.

3. Using a shallow and wide saucepan to cook the risotto is key as you want the rice to be spread out so it will absorb the liquid evenly. Using this type of pan will reduce the possibility of your risotto from becoming too mushy.

4. Keep in mind that the creaminess of the risotto comes from the starch of the rice. Typically no cream is added when making risotto, as you want the flavors and starch from the rice to stand out.

5. When starting to cook your risotto, it is helpful to lightly toast the rice in a small amount of fat. This coating of fat helps the rice stay firm during the cooking process.

6. Add small amounts of liquid to the rice and keep stirring until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat until the rice is cooked. You know when your risotto is complete when there is a slight bite to the rice grain.

7. It is helpful when cooking the risotto, to use hot liquid as the cooking temperature of the rice will be maintained, which will result in the risotto being cooked evenly. As you are adding the liquid, be sure to consistently use the same amount each time.

8. When deciding upon a type of cheese to add to your risotto, freshly grated parmesan or pecorino cheese would be ideal choices and add to the creaminess of the risotto deliciously.

9. When your risotto is complete, serve immediately on a warmed plate and enjoy!

About the Author

Ann Martin is a writer for Dinnerware Center, which offers an array of stunning dinnerware sets online, such as the Noritake colorwave and the classic Noritake china. Ann is a freelance writer for other cooking and garden websites. When Ann is not writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

what wine is good for risotto?

i want something i can also drink alone. but i only know 2 white wines. riesling and pinot girgio. are these two wines okay for making risotto? or not?

Wine Spectator magazine published a risotto recipe last year that included white wine as an ingredient. After the recipe they also suggested 10 white wines to use in risotto, and specifically mentioned pinot grigio.

Recipe: http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/Shellfish-Risotto-and-Fresh-Italian-White-Wines-for-Mothers-Day_4763

If anyone would know about using wine in risotto, it's Wine Spectator -- good luck!

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Risotto $13.96 Risotto, one of today's most popular restaurant dishes, is actually one of the easiest to make at home. meaning little rice, risotto is an Italian dish featuring tender arborio rice slowly cooked in broth and flavored with meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, shellfish, cheese or herbs. The result is rice that is delectably creamy while the grains remain separate and firm. Risotto begins with an explanation of the principles of making the Italian specialty-cook it slowly, stir continuously, and maintain the correct heat and moisture-then follows with an inspiring selection of more than 100 variations to suit all tastes and occasions.

Risotto: $4.16 Risotto