Talk me through risotto

[GizmoFrisby]

I've made risotto once. I was disgusting. I love to eat it and always order when we go out.
What are your best foolproofrecipes

[SheDoneAlreadyDoneHadHerses]

Ok. I hugely overportion so this should comfortably feed 3, or 4 if you put a salad with it, but it feeds me and DS14.

250g arborio rice
1L of stock hot in a pan

Heat some oil in a frying pan and fry the rice and some chopped onions in it for about 3-4 mins. Then ladle in some hot stock and stir till it's evaporated. Then add another ladle and do the same.

Keep doing this until all the stock has gone/been incorporated and your rice is soft.

At this point you can add good strong cheese and a tablespoon of butter and some cooked chicken/peas/mushrooms, but it's equally nice with just the cheese and butter.

[Sgtmajormummy]

I make mine in a pressure cooker.
Fry onion and garlic but don't burn. Add risotto rice and "toast" it until it turns blond. Now add your hard bits (soaked mushrooms, veg or whatever) and double the amount of stock to rice. So 500 ml of stock to 250g of rice
etc.
Pressure cook from whistle for 15 mins. Let it depressurise rhen add your peas, butter, cheese etc. I add salt, pepper and parmesan at the table.

Taste for texture. It shouldn't crack under your teeth but still needs a bite. If you feel thirsty after tasting it, you need to cook it for longer. Add more water if necessary. It should be stiff rice pudding texture that flows slightly, not a stodgy thwack onto the plate!

You don't need a pressure cooker, but it avoids the add-and-stir to avoid burning approach.
I also make it in the microwave if I'm in a hurry, but you don't get the toasting step.

[Chelsea26]

There are a few things that are important

1. You need to really coat the rice in the oil/butter mixture
   

2. You need to keep the stock warm
3. You need to stir it gently but continuously
4. Once cooked add butter and Parmesan and leave it to sit covered for 5 mins before eating to get it extra creamy and lovely



I'm also crap with portion sizes and measuring but...recipe

Veg stock
Tbsp (ish) butter
1 onion chopped
1 clove garlic finely chopped
1 packet of smoked bacon chopped
Risotto rice
1 cup of petit pois
Another tbsp butter
Big handful of finely grated Parmesan



Crumble 2 vegetable stock cubes in a saucepan and put over a very low heat.

Heat a knob of butter and glug of olive oil in another saucepan, add onion and soften for about 5 mins, add a clove of garlic and some chopped smoked bacon (can use lardons but I find them too fatty) cook for 4/5 mins more until the bacon is done.

Add the risotto rice to the onion and bacon and stir to coat in the oil/butter for about 3 mins

Throw in a glass of white wine (optional - you could drink it instead ) and stir until it has evaporated.

Add the stock a ladle full at a time - you do need to stir it pretty continuously and the trick is to let it really soak in before adding the next ladle. Towards the end it will start looking like risotto and won't completely evaporate - at this point taste and see if the rice is soft, if its nearly there then add some frozen petit pois and a last ladle of stock and stir it in.

Lastly add a knob of butter and a big handful of Parmesan, stir and put a lid on, leave to stand for 5 mins.

When you take the lid off it will be gooey and gorgeous

I now want this for dinner!!

[PuppyMonkey]

All of the above except for every bit of stock you add to the rice, ensure you have a large swig of wine while stirring.

[queenc81]

Look up Jamie Oliver's simple risotto. Best one I've cooked, comes out fab every time X

[queenc81]

www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/rice-recipes/a-basic-risotto-recipe/

Found it, you just add what you want, I normally do mixed mushroom or prawn. So yummy! X

[Chelsea26]

Very good point puppy I can't believe I forgot that important step

[Joinourclub]

Tips: cook finely chopped onion and garlic in butter and oil til soft. sauté the rice in the butter for a few mins before adding half a glass of white wine and evaporating. Then add chopped fresh mushrooms and chopped rehydrated dried mushrooms. Add spoonfuls of stock (can also use mixture from soaking the shrooms) and stir and repeat until rice is done to your liking. Then add a load of butter and Parmesan and stir vigorously. Can also add finely chopped parsley at this point too.

Things that make the difference for me: the white wine is essential! I add half a glass and a bit more for luck. Also dried mushrooms really increase the mushroomyness. Also butter to finish.

[GizmoFrisby]

Fab I'm definitely cooking this tomorrow,with wine fingers crossed it goes smoothly.

Can you reheat if leftovers? I know rice can be dodgy

[Sgtmajormummy]

Good video tutorial for pressure cooker risotto. Hers only takes 7 minutes! www.hippressurecooking.com/pressure-cooker-risotto-in-7-minutes/

[Sgtmajormummy]

Make leftover risotto into "arancini" by adding a heart of cheese to a ball of cold risotto and frying it!
Sorry, off to make dinner so I can't find a recipe...

[Chelsea26]

Yes you can reheat leftovers - in microwave with a bit of water - or you could make arancini www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/sep/02/nigel-slater-arancini-frozen-cherry-rice-recipes

[Joinourclub]

You can reheat leftovers. The risotto must be quickly cooled, put leftovers into the fridge right away.

[ThenLaterWhenItGotDark]

My only addition to the advice above is to double the quantity of cheese that any recipe gives you, as there is nothing worse than bland risotto.

I do mushroom usually, but pumpkin and crispy bacon is very nommy for the autumn (another Jamie one iiirc)

[ThenLaterWhenItGotDark]

I just leave my pan of risotto in the fridge (or on top of the oven when I forget ) and reheat the next day.

[Thurlow]

There's a really nice bacon and tomato oven risotto, the bacon makes it tasty. I'm too lazy to make actual risotto

[GizmoFrisby]

Great. Thanks all

[Thurlow]

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

[Jecan]

For years I followed the advice about adding the stock a ladle at a time - what a faff!
Then I had DC & didn't have time to do the faff so put all the stock in at once, stirred it a few times & it tasted exactly the same. It's revolutionised risotto making for me.

[Pootles2010]

Two things - put wine in, really good slosh, as your first bit of liquid. Second thing, stir constantly - have everything ready so you don't have to stop. Lots of seasoning.

[BakeOffBiscuits]

My tips for a brilliant risotto are...

Cook the onions for around 10mins, so they are lovely and soft.

Add the rice and cook for a couple of mins, stirring all the time to coat every grain with the oil and butter.

Add a glass of wine, if you've got one open. It's adds lots of depth to the flavour.

It's a great veggie meal, I make the risotto then at the last minute add fried mushrooms and cooked peas and asparagus, then add lots of Parmesan and leave to stand for 5 mins.

[BakeOffBiscuits]

I don't think it's necessary to site continuously. I'm always flitting about doing other things in the kitchen.

[megletthesecond]

Avocado and walnut risotto with lashings of butter and parmesan. Mmmmm. .......

[SplodgeBear1988]

I use a BBC good food recipe that is called easy risotto.
You add all the stock at once! Less faffing.

[GizmoFrisby]

How long are you approx stirring for? Is that a daft question