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Traditional Risotto

A basic risotto is made with the following proportion: 2 1/2 cups arborio rice (or any of the other short grain italian rices) to approximately 8 - 9 cups any liquid. If you use a different type of rice, you may require less liquid.

Risotto is a terrific dish to prepare for dinner guests. It's a main course and if you have a kitchen where you and family or guests can all sit or sit around chatting while you prepare this, try it. All liquid ingredients should be hot when added. It requires constant attention (while sipping on a glass of great wine) and the finished product should have a very creamy appearance and good texture. It should be served immediately or it will get gummy!

What you need

  1. 1/4 cup butter (or butter and olive oil combined)
  2. 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  3. 1 large clove garlic, minced
  4. 2 1/2 cups arborio rice
  5. 3/4 cup dry white wine
  6. 1/2 tsp saffron
  7. 6 - 8 cups chicken broth
  8. 1 tbl butter
  9. 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided
  10. salt to taste

How to make it

  1. Heat chicken broth in a saucepan and keep warm
  2. Add saffron to white wine and heat
  3. Melt 4 tbl butter in large sauté pan
  4. When butter foams, add onion
  5. Sauté onion over medium heat until pale yellow (do not brown)
  6. Add rice and mix thoroughly until well coated with butter
  7. Add hot wine
  8. When rice has absorbed all wine, add enough broth to cover the rice (approx. 1/2 - 1 cup)
  9. Stir over medium heat until broth is absorbed
  10. Continue this process adding broth a little at a time until rice is tender, but not mushy - about 20 minutes. When rice is cooked to taste the dish should be slightly saucy.
  11. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup parmesan cheese and 1 tbl butter. The starch from the rice is going to continue to thicken the dish while hot. Serve with additional fresh parmesan.

If the heat under the pan is too high, you'll end up evaporating off the liquid instead of the rice absorbing it. If it's too low, it will take too long and you'll probably end up with mush. Consider how your cooktop works before you start and adjust accordingly.

This dish can be customized so easily with anything you can think of. In place of part of the broth, use 1 cup hot water in which you've soaked dried wild mushrooms. Add artichoke hearts, asparagus or any other vegetable to your broth while heating. Any fresh vegetables or mushrooms seafood, squash, cream, etc...about anything you think will work well with rice. Be sure vegetables or other additions are precooked either in the broth or before adding to the broth.

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