Use a short rice with high starch content.
Cook it very slowly.
Flavor well.
Easy, right? Well, yes!
It’s not like standard American rice that you measure the exact rice to liquid ratio, set the flame and leave. It takes your eye, judging when to add more liquid a little at a time. Still not difficult. I learned risotto from a sweet lady in the north of italy, where it’s commonly on the table. You can make risotto with just about anything. I love using any veg that i have just a couple cups left of...not enough for a side for my family but perfect for risotto! Just chop and sauté those veggies with a little onion, pair the type of broth you make (veg with veggies, for example) and proceed.
Making mushroom risotto:
Ingredients
2 cups carnaroli or Arborio rice (you can sub long-grain rice but it won’t be as creamy)
Mushrooms: 2 cups of mushrooms comprised of 8 Oz fresh mushrooms, chopped and/or 1 cup dried mushrooms, soaked in 2 cups hot water for 2 hours (save the liquid), chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Optional: 1/2 c small diced salami or prosciutto or ham
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp olive oil
6 cups mushroom or veg broth (includes the mushroom liquid you made)
2 tbsp herbes de Provence OR 1 each of thyme and oregano
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Optional a pinch of red pepper flakes
Parsley, chopped
Finishing:
1/2 c Parmesan
1/4 c butter cut in 5 pieces
Put your broth in a saucepan and keep hot but not boiling.
In a large wide skillet sauté the onion in the olive oil and butter until soft. Add garlic and mushrooms and sauté on medium (if adding salami etc add it with the onions). Then increase heat to medium high and add rice. Stir and toast rice until you see a slight color change. Then reduce heat, level out the mixture flat in the pan and add enough broth until barely submerged. Add spices and mix in. Level out again and add more broth if needed. **If you have puddles your rice isn’t level so adjust it. Adding the broth is key. Rice should not be poking up above the broth line but broth should barely be covering it all. I use a 1/4 c ladle to add it.
Once it boils reduce the flame to barely above low...you want bubbles coming up but not many. I call it a tiny boil lol. DO NOT STIR your risotto. At all. The flame is low and you’ll add liquid gradually so it won’t burn. Every 2-3 minutes add a half cup of hot broth, drizzling it around the skillet. Don’t skip the edges. Rice is well packed in there so if you dump it in the center the other rice will burn.
Keep doing this for 20 minutes. Check by tasting your rice. It will likely have a bit of crunch still.
Start checking for doneness every 5 minutes. When it’s got just a hint of crunch add a ladle of liquid and then no more. Let it absorb most of the liquid, but when it’s still wet turn off the flame, add your Parmesan, parsley and 1/4 c butter and stir in. You’re done! Let the risotto sit for 10 min before serving.
You can serve this with more Parmesan, red pepper oil, and round out your yummy meal with a nice glass of Chardonnay, a fresh salad, maybe some broccoli rabe cooked with garlic and oil. Enjoy!
Note: while I didn’t take pics of the risotto i did take pics of what i did with the leftovers!
Butter a loaf pan. Line with parchment. Line with prosciutto. Mix 4 cups of rice with 2 raw eggs and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Put half the rice packed into the bottom. Make a trench and lay three boiled eggs. Sprinkle with 3/4 c shredded mozzarella and top with the rest of the rice. Top it all with 1/2c seasoned breadcrumbs. Bake at 400 for 30-35 min or till golden.
Meanwhile sauté some chopped onion in half butter and half olive oil till soft. Add 2 cups peas, 1 tbsp herbes de Provence (can you tell i love that stuff?), 1/2 tsp salt and cook for 5 min. Set aside and serve with your beautiful sformato di riso!
When baked just turn out onto a plate, surround with peas, and serve.
