is risotto supposed to be gloopy?

[allthingsfluffy]

I had never had risotto until last night when I made the easy bacon and pea recipe from bbc good food website. It required the stock to be all added at once and simmered.

It ended up edible, but really gloopy, like gelatinous, almost slimy.

Is that really what risotto should be like?

It is a different consistency to other rice dishes as the arborio or carnaroli rices release starch to give it that characteristic 'gloopiness'. You can make it less sloppy next time by adding slightly less stock or for cooking it a bit longer perhaps? It's much easier to control if you add the stock a little at a time although this is obviously much more time consuming!!
Did you enjoy it?

No. The Arborio rice grains should be plump and moist with a slightly creamy texture but they should remain distinct and not go to mush. The usual way of cooking risotto is to introduce the stock a little at a time and keep stirring as it reduces and soaks into the rice.

Mmm. The grains were still distinct, definitely hadn't gone to mush. I liked it ok, but I like anything that has peas in.

Maybe another persons "creamy" is my "slimy"?

I will try it the other way in a couple of weeks and see if it makes a difference!

Definitely add the stock a bit at a time and keep stirring it. Also stir in butter and Parmesan at the end to make it even more creamy. Shouldn't be slimy!

I love a Risotto. I am not sure how you made it and what rice you used. If you try again and follow a traditional recipe I am sure you will love it. Some people prefer it more cooked than others, its your taste. I personally really like a Chicken and Pea Risotto but you can make it with almost anything!!

I don't like the sound of adding the stock all at once. People claim it's the same but I've never found it gives the wonderful unctuous-ness you should get with risotto.

The technique I use, wot I woz taught by a real live Italian person, is to gently stir pretty much all the way through cooking, then when you finish it off with with the cheese, beat the living shit out of it stir vigorously till it has a creamy consistency. Shouldn't be slimy.