Written By Guest Writer How to Cook Apr 16, 2012 Risotto Lento – Cooked with patience and attention, risotto delivers. SHARE VIA: Facebook Twitter PinterestRisotto. Photo by Tracey KusiewiczMy initial experience with risotto in a backstreet osteria in Venice didn’t look promising. I had serious misgivings about the grainy grey puddle topped with a green/black blob of—what? And what was I supposed to eat it with? Spoon? Fork? Finally I dug in. My doubts were needless. I was bowled over by both texture and flavour. Rice, firm yet creamy, melded seamlessly with the delicate broth, red wine (to which, I presumed, the risotto owed its murky appearance) and aged Parmigiano. The blob was earthy, barely wilted spinach. The silky, nutty dish was delicious. Once I returned home, I ordered the dish again. It looked nice but tasted like tomato-laden glue. Then again, that was more than a dozen years ago and certainly not Venice. Risotto, which did finally make its way across the pond, is easy enough to make, although it can be tricky to master. When you’ve nailed it once, however, making all manner of risotti is as easy as AVC … It’s much ado about the rice, you see. Risotto owes its roots to the more northerly regions of Italy, where rice outgrows wheat, mainly in the Po Valley. Short grain rice, due to its high starch content, allows for a suitable absorption of liquid. The ideal rices are Arborio, Vialone Nano and Carnaroli. Workhorse Arborio “superfine” is the most economical but cannot withstand overcooking. Expensive Vialone Nano turns out a superb risotto but can be a little temperamental in the pan. Therefore, some measure of finesse is necessary. Carnaroli (my favourite) balances the two. It costs a bit more that Arborio, is more forgiving than Vialone Nano, and delivers perfect creaminess while the grains remain al dente. No matter which of the three you choose, with a little practice and patience your risotto will result in a sublime marriage of starch and broth. Basic risotto, like pasta, cozies up to a number of vegetables—particularly wild mushrooms, but squash and fennel are also popular, and here and there fish or meat. I find tomato is best left to the noodle. The broth may be beef, chicken, fish (for seafood risotto) or vegetable. (Venetian Risi Bisi—a soupy mixture of rice and peas—relies on the water used to boil the peas.) As the days turn warmer, risotti made with tender asparagus, petit pois or tender spinach are superb. Slivers of fried pancetta make a nice addition. Although Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is de rigueur in risotto, I find grating a milder cheese such as fontina or asiago into the mixture gives spring risotto a lift. Crumbled sheep feta, along with a splash of fresh lemon juice into pea or asparagus risotto, is a splendid alternative to Italian cheeses. I like to make risotto at home, rather than order it in a restaurant. For one thing, few chefs (note I did not say all) can afford the 25 minutes of TLC that risotto requires. I find it far more pleasant to spend that time (and far less money) sautéing vegetables, toasting rice, going with the rhythm of adding and stirring broth, gauging the risotto’s progress, sipping on a glass of wine as aromas waft about the kitchen—maybe nibbling a couple of olives, perhaps chatting with a guest or my husband, who has offered kindly to toss the salad. Putting together risotto is very soothing and social that way. Variations on the theme of preparing risotto are many. The following tips have, for me, worked very well. The rice pretty much does all the work to deliver a full-bodied, creamy, al dente risotto. I use olive oil, forgoing butter. Shallots or leeks deliver a less strident note than onion and/or garlic in spring and summer risottos. I splash a bit of room temperature wine at the beginning and add the remaining wine the recipe calls for along with the final ladle of broth. Finally, I blend in the cheese and never finish the dish with cream. Salt, pepper and fresh herbs (if using) are added at the end. A good quality purchased broth, diluted with a cup or so of water, is best unless homemade stock is completely free of “bits.” Often thought of as a side dish (particularly for osso bucco) or first course, a fine risotto, cooked slow and low, needs no other actors. Allow it to be the star of the stage.cookingEdiblesricerisotto SHARE VIA: Facebook Twitter Pinterest Written By: Guest Writer We get many people writing guest articles for us, as well as past contributors. This is the Guest ... Read More You may also like Food / How to Cook / Kitchen Tools February 28, 2022 Iron Age — Sealing Your Pan Your cast iron deserves to be pampered, so here is a method for sealing your pans to keep them in tip-top condition. Got an old pan? Just found a ... Read More Food / How to Cook / Main course / Recipes November 2, 2021 French Quiche—Revised Our apologies for an omission in this recipe in the Dec|Jan issue. In the instructions for making the filling, we neglected to add the milk to the ... Read More Breads / Food / How to Cook / Recipes July 13, 2021 Rosemary and Feta Potato Loaf A delicious homemade bread is always a welcome treat that can really set the mood for a good day. This is an approachable recipe to bring to holiday ... Read More Food / How to Cook / Recipes May 7, 2021 Halibut Stock Halibut Stock Did you know halibut bones make the most delicate yet flavourful stock imaginable? Ask your fish department to set aside the bones ... Read More Food People / How to Cook / Kitchen Tools November 30, 2020 Hacking Your Kitchen Shelora Sheldan collected her own favourite kitchen hacks, then reached out to chefs, passionate home cooks, bakers, bartenders, poets, and even an ... Read More Food / How to Cook / Main course / Recipes November 27, 2020 Skewered Spicy Chicken and Shiitake Skewers Rebecca Wellman serves up her delicious take on chicken and mushroom skewers with a tasty side of sauce. Serves 4 ... Read More Comments are closed.
Food / How to Cook / Kitchen Tools February 28, 2022 Iron Age — Sealing Your Pan Your cast iron deserves to be pampered, so here is a method for sealing your pans to keep them in tip-top condition. Got an old pan? Just found a ... Read More
Food / How to Cook / Main course / Recipes November 2, 2021 French Quiche—Revised Our apologies for an omission in this recipe in the Dec|Jan issue. In the instructions for making the filling, we neglected to add the milk to the ... Read More
Breads / Food / How to Cook / Recipes July 13, 2021 Rosemary and Feta Potato Loaf A delicious homemade bread is always a welcome treat that can really set the mood for a good day. This is an approachable recipe to bring to holiday ... Read More
Food / How to Cook / Recipes May 7, 2021 Halibut Stock Halibut Stock Did you know halibut bones make the most delicate yet flavourful stock imaginable? Ask your fish department to set aside the bones ... Read More
Food People / How to Cook / Kitchen Tools November 30, 2020 Hacking Your Kitchen Shelora Sheldan collected her own favourite kitchen hacks, then reached out to chefs, passionate home cooks, bakers, bartenders, poets, and even an ... Read More
Food / How to Cook / Main course / Recipes November 27, 2020 Skewered Spicy Chicken and Shiitake Skewers Rebecca Wellman serves up her delicious take on chicken and mushroom skewers with a tasty side of sauce. Serves 4 ... Read More
2024 Issue / EAT Magazine News Jan 7, 2024 Fare Well IT WITH WITH PROFOUND sadness and regret that I write this final letter in the final issue of EAT magazine. The decision to cease publication is one ... Read More
2024 Issue / Magazine Jan 7, 2024 January | February 2024 Issue 28-01 The final issue of EAT magazine available ... Read More
Dessert Wines / Fortified Wine / Red Wine / Rosé / Sparkling Wine / White Wine Feb 4, 2013 Westside Wine Trails – Sip With Your Sweetheart Event The Westside Wine Trail wineries return for their annual Sip with Your Sweetheart Event in celebration of Valentine’s Day. All nine wineries of ... Read More