Talk to me about risotto!

[Suddengeekgirl]

I really like risotto and I can make a fairly good one but it takes FOREVER! 1h15 today.

Is that how long yours takes?

Should I be cooking it on a higher heat to make the liquid evaporate faster or does that mean you run out of stock before the rice cooks through?

Any thoughts?

Mine takes about 20 minutes. I think.

If you run out of stock, just add some more. If you put it on a higher heat, it's more likely to burn, so you want it on a nice low-medium heat, a light bubble, and the rice shouldn't take too long to cook. Add your stock steadily throughout and you'll work out how to get the right amount of sauce just as your rice is cooked.

10 mins sweating onions & frying rice etc then 20-25 mins adding stock to rice. Perhaps you're not using hot stock?

Look up bbc good food oven risotto

I do lots of versions of this. Tastes just as good as stovetop risotto and no more standing around!

Mine usually takes about 40 mins, I think it's nicer if made slowly :)

Yep, like MMoC says, I'd reckon 20-30 minutes. Agree - too hot and it will burn. Just add your liquid bit by bit

I second the oven baked version. Just as nice and less hassle.

I can do one in 20 mins and that's using lukewarm stock, what on earth are you doing that takes do long?

Saute onions for 8 mins or so

Add rice

Add stock slowly until absorbed.

So not do

Doh!

I made an oven baked risotto last night and it was very easy and just as nice as normal risotto!

Can you post the recipe please?

Gawd I'd kill for a lovely creamy mushroom risotto. DS doesn't like mushrooms....

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2818/ovenbaked-risotto-

If I do mine with chicken, I just quickly seal the chicken after frying the onions and before adding the rice, then bung the lot in the oven for around 25mins. Add a few lemon wedges into the pot for a lovely flavour and stir through creme fraiche at the end for extra creaminess {drools and curses low carb diet}

Thanks everyone! :)

I cooked it on a low heat
The stick was hot, low heat with a lid on after I'd brought it to boil
Maybe I'm waiting too long between adding ladles of stock?

Might try the oven one... Last time I did I ended up with raw rice after 40mins so got a take away!

I third the oven-baked risotto. Dds wolf it up!

Try it without the lid on. The stock will reduce quicker as well.

I always do oven risotto. 300g rice, 700ml hot stock, 20mins. Kids love it.

I agree that the adding stock stage should only take 20 mins - that's how long risotto rice takes to cook. And Jamie Oliver backs me up - in that Italian book he says that in Italy risotto is a meal that is considered quick to prepare. Lots of nice risotto recipes in that book, btw.

I've done oven risotto a couple of times but don't really like the expense of putting on the oven when I can just use the cheaper hob instead.

I chuck quite a lot of stock in at a time, and I don't stir constantly.

This works better now that I have non-stick saucepans.

Oh yes and Sunshine is right - no lid, except if you want to do the thing at the end of adding lovely butter and parmesan and letting it all melt down.

I've been using a no-stir method for a couple of months, that's super quick. It's using the principle from the aubergine risotto recipe here, although I've never made this actual dish. Basically, make required amount of chicken stock (one cup boiling water to dissolve, then top up with cold). Put in pan with rice and pop in the fridge for a couple of hours.
Then sweat onion/shallot in butter/oil, add wine and bubble down, then add the stock-rice and boil for 7 mins. Stir occasionally. Done!

Risotto is about the only thing I can cook well. I do the 20 min hob method, adding stock and/or wine in ladles - you have to feed it I think to make it right. I find it very therapeutic especially because you have to have a glass of wine while doing it. That's the law.

One and a half hours? What did it taste like after that?

I think you need to know approximately how much stock you need for the amount of rice you are doing. I always set a timer for 18 mins as i know the rice should pretty much be cooked by then.

My mil is used to cooking for just herself and fil. She once spent hours cooking a risotto for us and them, because she doesn't measure it, she just made it by 'feel'. And the rice wasn't cooked when she'd finished. She was mystified as to why it wasn't cooking, but imo the reason was not enough stock in total, and not enough added each time she added some. I always bung in loads at a time and more if i'm cooking a bigger risotto iyswim.

It did taste lovely. :)
But I think I'm waiting too long between adding stock and possibly using too low a heat

I don't put a lid on though - at least I'm doing that right.