Risotto: Delicious Risotto Easy To Make

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Risotto: Delicious Risotto Easy To Make

 

Recipe By : Los Angeles Times, Jan 3 2002

Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : Info/Tips Rice

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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Thomas Kellerand Michael Ruhlman

 

Too often, cooks are afraid of risotto, so it gets reserved for special

occasions. But a delicious, creamy risotto is easy to make and can take on

forms you might never have dreamed of.

 

Most obvious, perhaps, is using risotto as a bed for braised meats -- such

as leftover pot roast or short ribs -- or even something as simple as

sautéed mushrooms.

 

But that's only the beginning. A risotto soup can give you a new

appreciation for the subtleties of risotto's flavor, which often is

overshadowed by its extraordinary texture. Simply add more liquid at each

stage of cooking -- keep the rice always swimming in broth, rather than

letting it cook dry -- and then puree it in a blender, pass it through a

fine sieve and garnish it with mushrooms, asparagus or, if you're feeling

clever, a crisp Parmesan tuile.

 

Go the opposite direction -- make it thicker than usual, then grind it into

a paste -- and it becomes an amazing stuffing for ravioli or other

dishes. Perhaps a little plain on its own, it makes a wonderful binder for

flavors that otherwise would be too loose for stuffing (mixed with corn

juice, it makes a beautiful pasta filling). If you have fresh herbs, add

pureed basil, or chives or parsley.

 

Think of risotto the same way you think of mashed potatoes. Thinned with

stock and flavored with sautéed leeks, mashed potatoes become potato soup;

mixed with some egg, piped out and baked, they become duchess potatoes;

rolled into a ball or cylinder, potato croquettes; spread atop a lamb stew,

they make the dish a shepherd's pie. No reason risotto can't be used in

similar ways.

 

Risotto takes about 20 to 25 minutes to cook, but there are shortcuts. In

restaurants, risotto is almost always precooked and finished immediately

before serving. There's no reason this can't be done at home. While it's

not essential, or even ideal, precooking can be helpful when dinner has to

be completed quickly at the last minute.

 

Of course, the first step is making a good basic risotto. Cooks have their

own style and taste, but a few critical points make a big difference in the

finished result.

 

A classic risotto begins with good medium-grain rice, commonly arborio,

though carnaroli rice results in a creamier texture. The best rice usually

seems to be packaged in a burlap or cloth bag, not wrapped in plastic.

 

Using a large saute pan, wilt minced onions in a little olive oil and then

add the rice, about a handful per serving. The first critical cooking

point is to allow the dry grains of rice to toast in the pan. You'll know

they're ready when the outside surface appears to be translucent.

 

Next, add just enough wine to cover and then -- critical point No. 2 --

completely cook off the alcohol (you can tell when this happens because the

raw smell will be gone). Add a ladleful of another liquid, usually chicken

or vegetable stock, which should be boiling. Bring this back to a

simmer. At this point you can set it aside to finish later or you can

finish cooking it in the usual way -- adding the boiling stock by

ladlesful, and cooking and stirring about five minutes after each addition,

until the liquid is absorbed.

 

If you're only precooking the risotto, leave it on the heat for just three

minutes after the first ladleful, then spread the rice thinly on a pan or

plate to cool quickly. When cool, cover and refrigerate. Then, just

before serving, reheat the risotto in more boiling liquid (stock or water),

adding it in small increments and stirring continuously with a wooden spoon

until the grains begin to release their starch, bind to one another and

become tender.

 

The final step, and the third critical point, is adding the

Parmigiano-Reggiano for the final binding and enriching of the dish. The

result should be very creamy, almost like sauced pasta, and slightly loose,

losing its shape when spooned onto a plate.

 

Once you're comfortable with basic risotto technique (toasting; cooking in

small amounts of liquid while stirring continuously; beating in the cheese

at the end), it's easy to branch out to other variations.

 

To use risotto as a pasta stuffing, add less liquid during the cooking and

finish the dish so that it's very tight. To make a soup, use more liquid,

as described above.

 

 

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