We’re talking all about risotto!
Risotto is a dish that’s common in Northern Italy (remember, Italian food is very regionally based) and it’s made with a special kind of rice. The majority of the flavor comes from the stock the rice is cooked in, along with the flavor enhancers like cheese, seafood, or vegetables.
If you’ve only eaten risotto outside of Italy, then you’ll be surprised to realize just how much of a bite the rice has to it when it’s properly cooked. Italians still like the risotto to be somewhat hard (similar to al dente pasta).
Since this is such a staple dish in Italy, you know I learned a ton of tricks in school that I’m going to share with you.
RECIPE:
32 ounces vegetable stock
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 ½ cups arborio rice
¾ cup dry white wine
1 cup plus more for garnish finely shredded parmesan cheese
1 ¼ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
Heat vegetable stock in a medium saucepan over medium high heat until it’s steaming.
Roughly chop 4 tablespoons (56 grams) of butter into small, ¼ inch (½ cm) pieces and place in the freezer.
Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons (28 grams) butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add rice to the saucepan and toast the rice until it’s translucent, about 4–6 minutes. You don’t want the rice to take on any color, so turn down the heat if you see browning.
Add white wine, and cook until the rice has absorbed all the wine. Ladle ¾ cup (175 ml) hot stock into the large saucepan, just until the rice is covered. Once the rice has absorbed about half of the stock, add in another ½ cup (120 ml) ladle of hot stock. Continue this process until the rice is tender, but still has a bite to it. From the time you add in the first ladle of hot stock, it should take about 16 minutes to fully cook the rice. Once ready, the rice will still look a little soupy.
Remove the risotto from heat, add the frozen butter to the rice, and stir until incorporated. Season with parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. To serve, ladle the risotto on a plate, and tap the bottom of the plate to spread the risotto into a thin layer.