risotto: what BAD THING happens if you just stick all the liquid in at once?

[MamaChocoholic]

I want to make risotto. I have two 11 month old babies and cannot stand there ladling for 20 minutes. if I stick all the liquid in at once, and pop back and check it every so often, surely it will turn out about the same? anyone with experience of a lazy risotto?

Nothing will happen! I never, ever add liquid at teaspoon at a time or whatever ridiculous measure it is recipes call for - I'm far too busy. I rinse the rice, stick the rice in a stockpot and add loads of liquid. Give it a stir every so often. Eat. Never had any complaints.

The bad thing is it may burn or turn into soup. Not all rice absorbed the same amount of liquid and how much water evaporates depends on the area of your pan, how high the gas is and how warmer day it is.
I think Delia has a lazy risotto done in the oven with a lid which is much more repeatable.

All depends on the rice as it could go belly up. I would say do a cup at a time and set the timer as if it sticks its a bummer.....

Try Delia's carbonara risotto - it's gorgeous but does go dry if you don't keep your eye on it - I'd add a bit more liquid and increase the cooking time the next time I made it.

But it's an all in one and makes your house smell yummy.

i do mine in the oven, it's so much easier. till i did it that way, i'd never made a good risotto. google 'oven baked risotto'

Recipe here I'm sure you could adapt it for other ingredients

i never ladle the water in bit by bit.

i bung it all in and pop back every few minutes to give it a stir.

I often put most of liquid in, then top up. Main thing is the stirring - it's that which bashes the grains and releases the starch to give it that risotto-y gloop. But you can do that far less frequently than you think - three or four mahoosive vigorous stirs maybe?

I've never tried. I've put half the liquid in and then the other half when its absorbed. Maybe I ought to live dangerously and try it all at once

Alternatively, do an oven baked one like this

I add a load at the beginning, and then add a little more later if it needs it. I also make mine in a non stick wok as then it doesn't stick, and if it has too much liquid towards the end, its easy to whop up the heat and evaporate it off

This is a good, easy recipe

baked risotto

Nothing bad will happen, but it will just be rice rather than risotto. The whole point of a risotto is that by adding liquid gradually - about a ladle at a time, rather than a teaspoon - you draw the starch out of the rice and it makes the risotto creamy and unctuous. It does take love and attention to get it right, so I agree with you that it shouldn't really be attempted when you are on your own with two babies. I would cook something else and then do risotto properly when there is more time and someone else around to baby wrangle while you are cooking.

Nothing bad happens.

I just chuck in any old amounts of liquid I want to stop it burning until the rice is cooked. But i don't use recipes anyway. Keep the heat very low though

Gemjar: it will be a long time until there is someone else around to baby wrangle, and I want risotto now :stamps foot:. so oven baked risotto sounds good, I will try that. thanks for all the suggestions :)

I got a cookery course as a present a while ago and the chef said no professionals make it that way. He also said it's better without wine in it, as it dominates the flavour. They fry off the onion or garlic in half olive oil, half butter, stir the rice in, add 1/2 cooking liquid once rice is coated in fat. Keep the heat as low as possible, but make sure the stock is really hot when you add it. Stir once. Once the liquid is absorbed, after about 10 mins, add the other half, stir once again then stir occasionally to make sure it's not drying out. Add more water or stock if you need to. Add other ingredients in order of cooking time. Once rice is cooked through, switch off heat, add a tbsp of butter and lots of parmesan then cover and leave to sit for 5 mins. Stir again then add any herbs and it's ready.

I made it the traditional, added-wine, ladle-and-stir way up till then but switched a few years ago and I honestly can't tell any difference.

We cheat. We use the M&S risotto packs, maybe add chicken or something, put in all the liquid at once and then put it in the oven.

Gorgeous.

ok Ro62, I will try the professional way

I just love the way I get to be lazy, drink the wine instead of putting it in the pot, and claim I'm being professional!

Nothing happens.

I chuck it in, stir occasionally, and it is FINE.

I can tell the difference. I often do an ovencooked risotto which is a perfectly nice meal but not half as creamy and lovely as the properly massaged one that I do when I can be bothered.

I used Ro62's "professional" method and it turned out creamy and absolutely gorgeous. even ds1 tasted it! thank you :)

courgette and cherry tomato, a last taste of summer.

A friend once cooked me a wonderful mushroom risotto & she'd done it in the microwave - I don't have the recipe but I'm sure if you google "microwave risotto" you'll come up with something.

Hopeforthebest.

Actually I don't know why I'm grinning about fairies dying, it's tragic