Risotto Etliquette
In Italy, risotto is serve mounded,
steaming hot, in the center of warmed individual shallow bowls.
Among the myths
associated with risotto, there is the one that you must eat it
piping hot, as it comes from the pot! Unlike pasta, risotto tastes
better when it has rested on your plate a minute or so. When
Italians are served risotto, they often spread it on their plate
from the center toward the rim, to dissipate some of the steam.
Using a fork or a spoon, push the grains of cooked rice out slightly
toward the edge of the bowl, eating only from the pulled out ring of
rice. Continue spreading from the center and eating around the edges
in a circle. This will keep the risotto hot as you enjoy your
risotto.
Cooking
Liquid:
All the flavors that
the cooking liquid starts out with become more concentrated and
intense as it evaporates. Bearing that in mind, when the recipe
requires broth, you will use a fine, mild beef or chicken broth.
Pure chicken broth becomes distractingly sharp, and so does stock
produced in the French manner. Neither is desirable for cooking
risotto. Water is the best choice for seafood risotto. Liquids that
come from the ingredients in the flavor base should be retained,
such as the juices released by clams or mussels, the water used to
reconstitute dried mushrooms, and the vegetable flavored liquid left
from the preliminary blanching of asparagus and other greens. Wine
may be added, but it must not be the sole liquid used.
NOTE:
The quantity of liquid suggested in the recipes is always
approximate. In actual cooking, you should be prepared to use more,
or sometimes less, as the risotto itself requires. When cooking with
broth, if you have used up the broth before the rice is fully
cooked, continue with water.
TIPS:
-
Read all the ingredients of
your recipe for risotto, and measure and prepare all ingredients
in advance of cooking.
-
Use only Italian short-grain
rice varieties such as Aroborio, Carnaroli, Vialone, Nano, and
Baldo (Arborio is the most commonly found short-grain rice).
Short-grain rice has a high starch content and tends to absorb
less liquid, resulting in a stickier, more compact risotto.
-
Never wash the rice.
Every bit of the rice starch helps make risotto creamy.
-
Toasting the rice: Adding the
rice to the saucepan on the heat without any liquid is an
important step, because how it is done can determine the final
texture of the risotto. Toasting the rice quickly heats up the
grain's exterior (toast until the rice is hot to the touch and
the color should remain pearly white, not turn brown.
-
It is important to add hot
stock, not cold, to the rice during the cooking process. Adding
cold broth to hot rice results in a hard, uncooked kernel in the
center of the grain. Add approximately 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup, at
the beginning, and decreasing the amount to 1/2 to 1/4 cup
toward the end of the cooking process. Adding too much broth at
the end can result in overcooked risotto. Keep the broth
simmering slowly while you add it to the rice. This helps
maintain a constant cooking temperature.
-
Begin tasting the rice about
14 to 16 minutes after the first cup of broth is added. Cook the
rice until it is "al dente," or the tooth still finds a little
bit of resistance when it bites in when you chew. It shouldn't
be rock hard in the center and mushy on the outside. The total
amount of cooking time may vary within 2 to 3 minutes. Perfectly
cooked risotto should not be hard and stick to the serving
spoon, nor should it be so liquid that it runs off your plate.
The texture should be supple and fluid, with a creamy, slightly
soupy consistency, but with body.
-
You can always add simmering
water if you run short on broth.
-
Add any vegetables, seafood,
or meat, which cook quickly, when the risotto is only a few
minutes away from al dente.
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Perfect creamy mouth-watering risotto.
Try Linda's great risotto recipes:
Lemon Wild Rice Risotto
Risotto with Chives and Truffle Oil
Risotto with Corn, Tomatoes, and Basil
Risotto with Poached Pears
Saffron Risotto
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