Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Risotto with Parmesan Cheese

One of my favorite recipes that I have made and one of my go to comfort foods is Risotto. Risotto can be made in many different forms and can have various different flavor profiles (lobster, mushroom, etc), all you need to know is the basic white risotto. The dish originates from Milan, Italy where rice was a essential diet staple. Even now to this day the base have the same core ingredients Arborio rice, white wine, and a stock of any kind.

What you need:
1 medium onion diced.
2 cups Arborio Rice
3/4 cup of Good Quality Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup of White Wine
5 Cups of Chicken Stock
4 Tablespoons of Butter
Salt and Pepper to Taste


1. Heat a large deep bottomed skillet on medium high heat with the pat of butter. Add in the diced onion and sauté until translucent (Do not let the onion caramelize or brown). Warm the broth on a back burner and keep the broth at a low simmer ( The key is to keep the broth warm)

2. Add the Arborio rice and mix with the butter and onions until the rice has a nutty fragrance or the rice starts to look a little translucent among the edges with solid white in the center. 

3. Add the white wine constantly stirring until most of the liquid has been absorbed into the rice.  DO NOT LET ALL OF THE LIQUID ABSORB.

4. Add a ladle full of the broth into the rice/wine/onion mixture and let that absorb also. Its a process that requires a ladle full, absorb while stirring, and repeat until the rice is soft and no longer crunchy.

The method behind the each ladle full getting absorbed at a time will lead to the end product being a creamy dish however there was no cream used in the dish.

5. Once the rice is softened and done add a good amount of parmesan cheese to your taste. Garnish with a sprig of fresh Italian parsley and your done. Easy and Simple! 

2 comments:

  1. I never think to make risotto, but I totally should. I like the clear instructions. Where did you get the recipe?

    Also, have you cooked with shallots? They grow very well here, but are expensive to buy. They make everything taste better and more complex. Want some to try? I grew some last year.

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  2. Thank you for this recipy, I've never cooked risotto or even haven't eaten it so much but I love it and now I can start to cook it!

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