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This is the BEST risotto recipe ever, and it's my most requested dish from family and friends. Rich and creamy, it reminds me of the risotto we've eaten in Italy but made easily in your very own kitchen. With plenty of freshly grated parmesan, a pinch of saffron if you have it, and enriched with some dry white wine, this risotto is the perfect accompaniment to chicken, salmon, or shrimp, or as a standalone dish to wow!
In large saucepan, bring chicken stock to boil, then reduce to low simmer. Transfer 1 ladle of stock to small bowl. Add saffron threads and set aside while saffron infuses.
Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons butter in second saucepan over high heat. Once butter begins to foam, add onions and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. After 2 minutes, add garlic and cook 1 additional minute. Note: cook only until onions and garlic are softened, not browned!
Add rice to saucepan with onions and stir until grains begin to swell and burst. Add white wine to deglaze pan, being sure to scrape any browned or stuck bits from bottom of saucepan. Let simmer until liquid is mostly reduced.
Once liquid is mostly reduced, stir in 1 to 2 ladles of stock, all of saffron-infused stock, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir constantly over low heat until liquid has been fully absorbed.
Continue adding stock in small increments, letting the rice absorb the liquid completely before adding more. Stir constantly and taste frequently, until all stock has been added and absorbed. After about 20 to 25 minutes, rice should be just tender (not mushy!) and risotto should be golden and creamy.
Remove saucepan from heat. Stir in ⅔ cup of parmesan cheese and remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Mix until butter has melted completely. Taste and season as needed, then transfer to serving plates or bowls, top with remaining parmesan cheese, and serve hot.
Notes
Saffron: The saffron is optional, but highly, highly encouraged! It gives the risotto a rich flavor and a gorgeous golden color. A “pinch” of saffron threads could be anywhere from 5 threads to 50, just depending on your personal tastes. A little goes a long way, so I recommend using 5-10 to avoid overpowering the rest of the dish.
Risotto Rice: Arborio rice is the most common rice for risotto, but you could also use a short-grain sticky rice. Also, don’t rinse the rice before cooking it. You want that starch to make the risotto creamy.
Make sure the chicken broth stays warm the whole time. If you add cool broth to the rice, you’ll stop the cooking process with each ladle.
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
Warming the broth before adding it to the warm rice coaxes more starch out of each grain of rice and helps prevent it from overcooking. Cool broth takes longer to warm up in the risotto pan and may shock the grain into holding onto its starches while the rice itself continues to cook.
One of the most famous risotto dishes is no doubt risotto alla Milanese. The first recipe mentioning the dish appears in cookbooks starting in the 1800s.
Yes, the foundational creaminess of well-made risotto should come from the starches that the grains release slowly over the cooking process—but a bit of actual cream doesn't hurt, either. Make sure to season the risotto with salt after you've added the whipped cream.
According to Salvatore, it all depends on the ingredients. The chef prefers oil over butter (and oil works particularly well with seafood risottos), but butter is better for vegetable-based dishes like Rampoldi's black truffle with mushroom or mixed vegetable and ginger risotto.
In addition to rice as the main ingredient, classic risotto also contains a small amount of onion or shallot sautéed in butter, dry white wine, hot stock, vegetables or mushrooms, and different aromatics.
Often called the "king of Italian rice," carnaroli from Riso Buono is the risotto variety of choice for cooks in the know. With a higher starch content and firmer texture than the arborio you may see at the grocery store, this rice makes an ultra-creamy, restaurant-quality risotto that's almost impossible to overcook.
Roasted Shrimp. Not only does a pile of roasted shrimp add a touch of fanciness to risotto, but it's also the ultimate last-minute addition, since it takes no more than a few minutes to cook. ...
You can use lobster stock for a lobster risotto or mushroom stock for a mushroom risotto, but don't blindly use chicken stock or vegetable stock for every risotto you make. The rice has its own subtle flavor, which shouldn't be masked by a concentrated stock.
Creamy. This seems obvious but to obtain a creamy risotto is an art because it has to be silky but not starchy and the time between these two delicate phases is a question of minutes. ...
When cooking risotto on a stovetop, you're required to periodically stir it to ensure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. Some people, however, stir it too frequently. This adds air into the risotto, cooling it down and making it gluey.
La mantecatura is everyone's favorite stage because you add more flavor and creaminess to the risotto though the addition of butter, cheese or oil. Grab your rested risotto and cold butter or cheese, gently stirring until melted and evenly distributed.
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