Basic Rissoto recipe

Thelonious:

The first five ingredients in the recipe below make a basic risotto recipe. From there you can add the saffron and parm specified or branch off and experiment. Try some reconstituted porcini mushrooms and parm. cheese or a combination of sundried tomatos and artichokes.

PARMESAN & SAFFRON RISOTTO

1 1/2 C Arborio Rice
1 1/2 C Onion - minced
4 Tb Butter
1/2 C White Wine
6-8 C Chicken Stock
1/2 tsp Saffron Threads
1 C Parmesan Cheese

Heat the stock to a simmer and maintain at that temperature during the cooking process.

In a saucepan, melt 2 T of the butter and cook the onions for about 10 minutes over low heat.

Add the rice and stir to coat the rice with the melted butter. Cook for a few minutes.

Add the wine and reduce until almost dry.

Add a cup of the stock and stir frequently while boiling gently. When the stock is almost absorbed. Add another half cup and continue to cook, stirring frequently. Continue adding the stock a half-cup at a time and cooking for about 25 to 30 minutes.

In the last 10 minutes, add the saffron and stir in.

When the rice is tender and the last of the stock is absorbed, add 2T of butter and the cheese. Mix in and serve.

I think you can do without the onions and wine. I've found those to be optional, at least more so than the parm. Here's my opinion of what the essential risotto ingredients are:

Arborio rice
stock
parmesan
fat (either butter or olive oil)

Risotto is one of the best ways to utilize potent ingredients like saffron and porcini mushrooms. The flavor of those ingredients is often covered up in other dishes by other ingredients, but when in a risotto the flavor embues all of the rice.

Kent:

I have to disagree with you here. If you leave the onion (yellow, leeks, shallots or scallions) and wine out of a risotto recipe, It's no longer risotto, it's just a rice dish.

I did a quick sampling of 100 risotto recipes on two websites and all but two contained white wine and a form of onion.

I believe onion and white wine are central to a risotto recipe. Sort of like needing marsala wine to make veal marsala.

Andy M.

i have to agree with the need for either onion, leek, or my favorite shallots. next issue is the white wine, i dont think that white wine is the only option. i have made some great risotto with merlot and port just reduce the amount of wine by cutting it with about 20-25% water. one important step that i didnt catch in anyones post, to protect the individual grain texture of a good rissotto you need to make sure that each grain of aborio rice is coated evenly and completely with the olive oil or butter (whichever fat you choose this step is essential). also you are not restricted to making savory rissoto... i have made a delicious coconut and mango rissotto :lips: by utilizing short grain sweet glutenous rice often found in asian cuisines. high gluten rice dishes can provide you with a palate to paint a masterpiece, the only limit to flavor combinations and presentations is your own imagination. rissotto is a relatively easy dish that intimidates cooks of all skill levels but shouldnt. serve a creamy rissotto to some freinds for dinner and watch their eyes light up. good luck and enjoy. :chef:

I've been meaning to make use of the saffron I bought the other day. I'll be sure to try it out in a risotto with shallots and white wine, as you guys recommend.

Hey oh

Well, I am going to dissagree with pretty much everyone here on some variouse points.

In reading both the history and the modern of this dish, it is indeed RICE. Afterall, that is the english translation of the Italian. What makes this rice a "dish" is the processe, and not the ingredients. Traditionally, and today, all rissotos start the same way. Two pots, one of hot (low simmer) water, and a pot for the rice.

The stepps to making a rissoto are also a fairly standard thing.

1 have ready your pot of hot water and a laddle
2 add a tablespoon or so of oil (fat. butter, your call) to a cup or so of dry arborio rice and heat this and stir this untill all the grains are coated and the temp of the grains is just too the point where you say ow! when you pinch them.
3 laddle in and stirr enough hot water to just cover the grains or rice, and add in more water only as it dissapears from the tops of the grains of rice.
4 it is ready in 10 to 15 minutes (there are a few varieties of rice used. some like arborio are done in about 12 minutes, others take longer).

That is a simple. basic, and traditional rissoto. Everything else is just icing :)

Me, I throw an onion and a bay leaf in my water, and sometimes a cup of white wine. I will add parm and heavy cream to my rice in the last 3 or 4 minutes of cooking. I will also butter-poach chicken livers and serve 3 livers ontop of each serving of rissoto:)

I have also made a pumpkin rissoto with gratted pumpkin that was very nice indeed :)

SOMETIMES I will use stocks like chicken stock, but not often. The best is to simply use water and the hot oiled rice and get a feel for the technique and texture of this dish, and then branch out with flavours and ingredients.....

:D