Tony Zentgraf
Risotto is one of those dishes that takes time to prepare but the finished dish is a creamy rice dish like no other you won’t soon forget.
It doesn’t matter if it is chicken and vegetable risotto, seafood risotto, a vegetarian hearty grilled mushroom risotto or a Risotto Bolognese, I tell you it will be a culinary experience.
Love of the Process
When you make risotto and can appreciate the process you will love this dish even more. The care needed as you making risotto is not just making rice, it is an event. Each step is important in building the structure of the final meal.
From the low temperature sweating the onions, to the toasting of the rice bringing out the nutty aroma, you are beginning the process of building upon each flavor. Once you begin to add each addition of the white wine and the broth, it begins the dance of the flame under the pot.
The Dance of Risotto
Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. This dance is what makes the dish, each addition of liquid will bring out the starches in the rice ever so slowly.
Cooking the rice down to almost dry then adding the next addition of liquid and starting the dance of the flame under the pot again. As I said, it is not just making rice.
When To Add Ingredients
Adding additional ingredients along the way will build the flavor profile as you cook.
There are times when you will add ingredients at the end of the process to avoid over cooking, pre-grilled shrimp or chicken as an example as you don’t want to overcook these items.
Building the flavors as you cook the rice allows the vegetables to breakdown in the dance of the flame as the rice cooks.
Finishing the dish with parmesan and butter allows for the structure of the risotto to develop the iconic slow movement of the risotto as it falls into the bowl.
Risotto – It’s All About The Rice
What makes the low and slow process of cooking the rice with staged additions of liquid so unique about this dish? It is the type of rice that is used.
Traditionally there are a handful of rices that are used for making Risotto –
- Arborio
- Baldo
- Padano
- Roma
- Carnaroli
- Maratelli
- Vialone Nano
The last three are considered the best rices to make risotto but are also the most expensive. Depending on the type used from the list of acceptable rices, cooking times and the ability to over cook the rice varies.
In the U.S. the two that are readily available in most stores are Arborio and Carnaroli
You may be thinking, ok but why can’t I use a different rice like long grain or other white rice?
Without getting too scientific, what makes the difference is these short grain varieties used for risotto versus other rices is that they have a higher amylopectin content and a low-amylose content.
In other words, the higher starch (amylopectin) rices produce a firmer and fluffier rice; where as rice with lower amylopectin and higher amylose produces a soft sticky rice.
Some of the varieties of rices you shouldn’t use for risotto are long grain white rice, basmati & jasmine rices because they become softer and mushier in this cooking process.
Why is Risotto an Italian dish?
Areas of the Mediterranean have a climate that is perfect for growing the shorter grain rices. The rices grown in the Italian region were perfect for the longer cooking processes as they held up well in many dishes. In the Lombardy region of Italy, Milan is credited with Risotto Milanese which has onions and saffron threads and finished with parmesan.
Milan was under Spanish rule for a couple of centuries and with them brought saffron. Spain has been known for making Paella, a seafood and rice dish that cooks over a long period of time, thus needing a rice that could stand up to the cooking process. It seems to be a natural pairing of risotto with saffron considering the mixed cultures in the region.
What Else Can I Add?
Although the process of making risotto has mainly stayed the same over several centuries, the ingredient list you can add to the dish are endless.
If you haven’t made risotto before, give it a try. Make it as a side dish or as a main meal filled with your choice of ingredients.
Either way, make it the last thing you prepare, it is intended to be eaten soon after being prepared. You want to enjoy risotto as it is intended.
I hope you appreciate the process that makes risotto a culinary experience as much as I do.
Enjoy!
Roasted Chicken and Vegetable Risotto (GF) (V)
Print RecipeRecipe Multiplier
- 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 ea Medium Yellow Onion ¼" diced
- ½ lb Arborio Rice
- 1 ½ cups White Wine
- 4-6 cups Chicken Broth
- 1 ea Carrot ½" diced
- 1 ea Yellow Squash ½" diced
- 1 ea Tomato ½" diced
- ½ cup Sauteed Asparagus
- 2 cups Spinach Leaves
- 1 cup Parmesan shredded or grated
- 2 tbsp Butter
- ½ tsp Tsp Black Pepper (as needed)
Instructions
- Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat.
- Add the diced onions to the pan. Adjust the heat if necessary, onions should not brown in the cooking process.
- Saute the onions until they become translucent.
- Add the arborio rice to the pot. Stir the rice, coating the rice with the oil. Rice will toast and begin to release a nutty aroma. Avoid browning the rice.
- Once you begin to smell the nutty aroma, add the white wine. It should just cover the rice. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cooking over a low simmer allows the rice to slowly absorb the liquid as well as slowly releasing the starches to produce the creamy texture of the finished risotto.
- Stir the rice and wine occasionally to avoid sticking and redistribute the rice into the wine to allow for absorption.
- As you stir the rice, you will begin to see the bottom of the pan is drying out.
- Add the first addition of the chicken or vegetable broth to the pot. Add enough to cover the rice. Bring to a boil again and reduce to a low simmer. The same process as the wine addition to the rice – Cooking over a low simmer allows the rice to slowly absorb the liquid as well as slowly releasing the starches to produce the creamy texture of the finished risotto.
- Add the diced carrots and stir to incorporate.
- Stir the rice and broth occasionally to avoid sticking and redistribute the rice into the wine to allow for absorption.
- As you stir the rice and broth, you will begin to see the bottom of the pan is drying out.
- Once you get to this point, add a second addition of broth to the pot and proceed with the same process as the first broth addition.
- Add the yellow squash, tomatoes & asparagus.
- Taste the rice at this point. You may need to add 1-2 more additions of liquid to get the rice to a soft al dente texture. Add another addition of broth just to cover the rice if more cooking time is needed. Follow the same process for cooking over a low heat to allow the rice to release the starches and absorb the broth.
- Once the rice is tender enough and the broth is mostly absorbed, remove from the heat.
- Add the spinach and stir to incorporate.
- Add the parmesan cheese, stir to incorporate.
- Stir in the black pepper.
- Add the butter and stir to incorporate. The risotto should have a creamy texture to it. Where is slowly falls off of it self.
- Garnish with additional parmesan and cracked black pepper as you like.
