Help with risotto please

[bellavita]

I like to cook (and bake) but have never made a risotto. I will have some left over chicken to use up from tonights salad and thought a risotto would be nice for tomorrows tea - already have the correct rice in to use.

Now, the recipe I have looked at on the Good Food website calls for white wine. Normally, I keep a bottle of this in reserve (we are red drinkers and have tons of the stuff) but I never replaced the bottle of white I took to my brothers.

Sooo, my question is, can I add the same amount of liquid using extra stock or could I use vermouth?

Thank you.

Vermouth would be lovely - stir in first and let it be absorbed by the rice before you start with the stock. You can skip the alcohol all together quite easily, though.

You don't have to use wine, although it does add a lovely flavour.

Vermouth would be good, but stock would work as well.

Danger with chicken risotto is that it can be a bit bland. I sometimes add a touch of chilli or some sundried tomatoes.

Thank you Hassled, I have saved the stock from the chicken, so should be nice and tasty then.

Do you mean dried chilli or fresh ones (I do have both) BIWI?

i add asparagus and brocoli to my risotto mmmm yum

Stock will work just as well, never tried with vermouth but don't see why not.

I tried to get DH to do a risotto this evening, but he said 'no its boring' because I can't do lots of flavour right now, but I really wanted it

Vermouth is my risotto secret ingredient. The herbiness really suits, especially with chicken or prawns.

If making chicken risotto with Sunday roasts left overs, add the scraping from the roasting tin and left over gravy at the end, stir in. It really works.

maria - have scraped the roasting tin out and put the stock to one side to use tomorrow.

keep the stock warm in a pan on another ring of the stove - and ladel the stock in from the pan rather than warm stock to start and cold by the time you put the last ladel in.

Slowly does it

I would use some dried chilli flakes - not a lot, the aim isn't to give noticeable heat, just to 'raise the profile' of the food, if you see what I mean.

BIWI - Will bear that in mind tomorrow - pinch rather than a tablespoon full

Thanks everyone

You could use red wine too- you might get a nice pink risotto and flavour shouldn't be affected.

lemon juice is good too if you want non-alcoholic - squeeze it on the rice right at the start before you add any stock.

Mmmmm, the risotto was lovely, I used the vermouth, half a fresh chilli finely chopped and put some chopped mushrooms in for good measure.

DH walked in and asked what we were having and I said risotto - his replied he did not like risotto , so after 22 years of marriage this month I have learned something new

Soooo, DH is having.... a bacon buttie! his loss