This is the dish you need to have under your belt to earn your Italian cooking credentials. Until then you will always be a dabbler. I know it, you know it. Once you have this down you can say buon appetito and mean it. The variations are endless and one pot serves 6 people.
The photo is of my Summer squash, zucchini and basil risotto cooked in Spumante, you will get the recipe in a couple of days... I promise.
What rice do I buy?
Italian rice is cultivated to have specific qualities that create the creamy texture of risotto.
The creaminess comes from the layer of starch that surrounds the kernel. For this reason, never rinse Italian rice.
The right temperature and method of cooking dissolves this starch creating the effect we have come to covet. It's not the butter or oil or cheese that do that (well, ok, they do help).
Arborio is the most readily available (Trader Joe's carries it). Other better but hard-to-find options are Carnaroli or Vialone Nano. Use only these kinds if you want a real risotto.
What pot do I use?
You will need a 5-6 quart heavy bottomed pot. A Le Creuset 5.5 quart is ideal (it also looks great on the table, mine is obviously flame-red) but an excellent alternative is any pot that distributes heat slowly and in a diffused manner. One of the many stainless steel pots with a thick aluminum disk at the bottom (like All-Clad, Calphalon or Cuisinart Chef's Classic) will do the job just fine. We used to use a copper pot back home.
What ingredients do I need?
1 medium onion
salt and pepper (freshly ground, please)
1/4 cup of olive oil or 4Tbs of butter
1 lb of Italian rice
2 quarts (depending on the rice) of stock, homemade if possible. You have the chance to add a lot of flavor here; don't underestimate the stock in risotto.
Vegetable or chicken stock works best, depending on the recipe. Beef is too strong.
3/4 Cup of dry white whine. Warm, NOT out of the fridge. If the wine is too cold it will shock the rice and leave you with a hard kernel at the center in the end. (Sauvignon Blanc works well, Chardonnay is a bit too buttery, not tangy enough. If that's what you have, go for it.)
1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese. (Not Pecorino, it is too pungent.)
How do I do it?
The process is similar for most risotti:
Place a minced medium onion and a 1/4 cup of olive oil (I am a southerner, therefore I don't use butter in it) in the pot over a low flame. You can use 2 Tbs of oil, and 3 of butter. That also works very well, especially for spring vegetable, saffron or mushroom risotti.
Once the onion is soft (not brown), add the rice and toast it with no liquid for 5-7 minutes stirring constantly so it does not burn or stick. The kernels should look translucent; their edges will look almost transparent and milky. This is very important for its final consistency. If you add the liquid right away and cook it, it will eventually became soggy and offer no bite. It must be toasted.
Now add the warm wine and let the rice absorb it, always stirring.
Once the wine has been absorbed, start ladling the stock in 1/2 a cup at a time (eyeball it, please! No measuring). The rice needs to cook in liquid mantaining a steady simmer (adjust flame). Not too much or too little of it and it must to be stirred constantly with a wooden or plastic (ack!) spoon. Metal might damage the kernels (I know, I know, so much to think about. But really, it's not that bad).
The idea is to have enough liquid for it to be stirred comfortably (about 2/3 covered) but not be completely submerged. You should always see about an inch of liquid at the bottom when you stir. If you see the bottom of the pot, it's too dry. As it absorbs water, add enough for 2/3 of the rice to be in liquid. If you run out of stock, warm water can finish the job. Add broth until barely al dente, about 20-25 minutes. If you like it firm, stop adding broth and let it finish cooking on the dry side. If you like yours more wet in the Venetian style we call All'Onda (Wave-style), add some more broth.
Once cooked, this is when you add the Parmigiano and a Tbs or 2 of butter and you do the mantecato (stir it in after cooking). If you are in a mood to wow and need your friends to give you money, toss in 1/4 Cup of heavy cream at this point. Out of control creamy and delicious.
Let sit for 3 minutes (you'll have to gather the dinner guests) and serve.
You're home safe.
A presto,
Marco Flavio
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