Re: sotto!

[luckyeight]

Is stock the secret of good risotto, or is it all in the cooking method?

[violetblue]

luckyeight, I've found that the real secret is using the correct rice, Italian arbario rice, to give that creaminess to risotto. I find it helps not to be too ingredient-ambitious; just stick to a few ingredients, loose cap mushrooms, garlic, possibly onions and little else, or choose ingredients to suit your fancy. Good luck!

[domidoodles]

A really good, tasty stock is extremely important - and care not to overcook the arborio rice thus turning it into mush !

[asciwhite]

I make our risotto with arborio rice too.
Olive oil just normal, nice blob of butter
Chicken breast cubed
Onion sliced
Brocolli florettes
Carrots batoned
Dried Porcini Mushrooms, soaked in warm water for 1/2 hr, reserve the juice
3/4 pt chicken stock
1 tin plum tomatos
1 tsp dried italian herbs
Garlic
Fresh Basil
I fry the onions and veg for about 5 mins, chuck in chicken carry on frying, add 1/2 bag Arborio rice (Tescos sells it in a box) stirring and frying, throw in tomatoes, stock and porcini mushrooms and juice, and dried herbs.
Cook and simmer for about 1/2 hour, keep an eye on it, it will cook down and will stick to the bottom of the pan, it's meant too!!! I add garlic very close to the end of cooking, and fresh basil leaves torn into it.
Hope this helps... xx

[asciwhite]

ahhhh!!! add a glass of white wine aswell.....

[violetblue]

The boxes of arborio rice usually have a nice little recipe on the back too.

[Birt]

Stock is one of the most important factor sin a risotto. The stock used must be of very good quality. Some chefs say the stock should be good enough to eat on its own (as a sort of soup i expect). Always add wine to the rice before adding any stock (just after it has gone translucent) and let it boil off for a minute.

[Catso]

I'd say the rice is most important, to get the right texture to it. (Not to dismiss the other ingredients, though)

[JamesEverton]

I agree with the above but find that, for it to be a success, a risotto needs a fair bit of care and attention.

I find that I'm constantly stirring (gently), checking on the amount of stock, checking the temperature etc. If the hob is on too hot the rice can be chalky in the middle. Cook too slowly and it'll turn sloppy. Equally if you add the stock too quickly or too slowly the results won't be good. Professional chefs can probably do it with their eyes closed, though.

[sweetdor]

rice is the secret you have to use the right one for risotto

[luckyeight]

Thanks for these... I am still a bit scared about trying risotto for the first time, but I agree that it is a lovely and simple dish... by the sounds of things, if I keep stirring the rice and just use the right ingredients I should be ok. Thanks.
Aside: I ordered risotto today in a cafe and it was made with basmati rice.... it was nice, but unconventional...

[asciwhite]

Use a good pan, a large based one is needed for a good risotto.... :-)

[Kim A]

Ok, here's how I was taught to make risotto.
Finely chop a small onion and crush a clove of garlic. Heat up your chicken stock and keep it simmering in a small pan. You need a good stock for this, NOT a stock cube. If you use a stock cube, it gets too salty by reduction by the time the risotto os cooked. Fry onion and garlic gently in a large knob of butter in a saute pan until the onion is soft, but not coloured. Add the risotto rice and stir gently to coat with butter. Don't allow it to fry, or colour or you'll never get it to cook properly as a coating will form on the outside of the grain. Once the rice is nicely coated in butter, chuck in a small glass of white wine and stir the rice over a medium heat until the wine has all evaporated. This gives you a good wine flavour, and burns off the alcohol. Then you addd the hot stock, a ladleful at a time, keeping the temperature under the rice at a gently simmer. Stir constantly, always in the same direction, and gently, until the stock has been absorbed. Add another ladlful only when the previous one has been absorbed. It takes between 12 and 15 minutes for a risotto to cook to the al dente stage, when the rice should still have a little bite and be surrounded by creamy liquid (but not too sloppy). Stir in some freshly grated parmesan, a further nut of butter and season to taste. Serve immediately. You can flavour it with what you like, but this one goes particularly well with a properly made ragu, served as they do in Emilia Romagna or around Bologna. Or just serve it plain. Whatever, it's delicious.

[aurelia]

You can get the arbario rice in most shops nowadays and it's the same rice that is used to make authentic italian rice pudding. I get it from the CO-OP