A delicious bowl of rich, creamy risotto. Is there anything better? Well I don't think so. I love how you can flavor the rice anyway you choose, use up whatever ingredients you have on hand and it always tastes divine.The most important ingredient in Risotto is time. This is no 'fast-food throw the oven meal'. You stand caressing the rice for at least 30 minutes maybe more and you cannot rush it. You can not have anythign else to do when making risotto and I think that is why I enjoy cooking it so much. It is quite therapeutic to me....
Anyway...enough of all that pondering, it's just food woman! :-) Here are the basics to a good risotto.
You will need:
Risotto or Arborio rice
Plenty of chicken stock (homemade works best)
A good splash of white wine
onion, garlic, slat pepper, other seasonings that take your fancy - I like some fresh parsley added in at the end.
Add-ins: my favorites include chicken, shrimp, asparagus, peas.
Butter (a pat of butter stirred in at the end makes it even more creamy!)
Lots of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Basic technique:
Get the onions, garlic etc going in some EVOO unitl softened. Add rice and saute til translucent. Add a glug of white wine as your first addition of liquid and stir til almost gone. Then just keep adding stock and stirring til it has been absorbed 1 ladleful at a time until the rice is cooked and yummy. Stir in cooked chicken or shrimp or whatever other yummy's you have decided upon followed by the cheese and all important butter.
Serve yourself up a big steaming bowl accompanied by a nice glass of that white wine you opened at the strat of cooking. Nothing better! Enjoy!
