Rissoto Recipes

[pigletwillie]

Does anybody have great tips for rissoto as its a dish I want to cook more of during the summer?

[Flummery]

Use a short grain rice - arborio or similar. fry it on a low heat with butter for a few minutes. Add your stock (and/or white wine) gradually. Keep stirring. Use real butter. Don't go away and think it'll be alright for a bit - it waits for you to do that so it can stick to the pan! I like it a bit creamy, but not wet enough to be soupy. Some people like it dry. It's your choice as you're making it. It's fab with new veg - primavera - broadies, french beans, peas, asparagus etc.
It's also great with mushrooms - as many varieties as poss, including pre-soaked dried ones for a more intense flavour. I love it and it's one of those dishes that you can make with the bits that aren't quite enough for a serving of veg. A real 'all round the garden' dish. Lovely with a bit of smoked salmon in too - especially if you can get the chunky hot-smoked salmon. A real treat.

[xspye]

I love rissoto
it's one of those really easy dishes that looks much harder to make than it is, it only takes 30-40 mins to make.

Basic risotto: Fry off some onion, add a bit more butter and put the rice (alborio) in fry for a short while then add a good glug of white wine (or red if using red meat) and stir. Gradually add stock until the rice is cooked. Don't over cook the rice it should still be a little bit white in the middle.

During the final stages bung in whatever you have left over in the fridge! Loads of veggies, tomatoes, chorizo sausage, cooked chicken, ham, salmon, prawns what ever. then finish it off with some nice smelly cheese, parmisan is the traditional one but stilton works very well as does a nice bit of strong cheddar.

For added texture I often fry off pine nuts or pumpkin seeds with the onion, nice flavour.

Well my tummy is now rumbling and i think i will be having rissoto for tea Enjoy experimenting

[HappyMouffe]

A recipe for the autumn is butternut squash and chilli risotto. Luvverley!

[Flummery]

I often add chopped cheshire cheese just at the end - goes nice and creamy. Also to give the cat another goldfish, add a good dollop of hummous just before serving, and stir it in.

[Spreadsheet]

Mmm Risotto!

I'm a great believer in "contents of fridge" risotto (or "contents of garden" risotto). But my special trick is to stir in some cubed mozarella at the end - it gives it that great stringy cheese texture.

[wellie]

Forget the 'Hard Work'....

The secret of a good Risotto is to keep it cooking steadily from start to finish, and then don't 'hang about too much when it's ready to roll'. A 'Ready Risotto' waits for No Man! (or Woman!)

Personally, I can't be bothered to stand there stirring and adding stock, stirring and adding stock, stirring and adding stock, so I do mine in the oven instead.

Gas Mark 2. Preheat a lidded casserole dish in there.
Start the onions/leek, Arborio or Carnaroli rice, white wine, stocky bits as per your own preferred hob recipe, then transfer your chosen risotto to the warmed casserole dish, stir, put the lid on and stick it in the oven. After 15 mins, stir well and return it to the oven. After another 15 mins, stir and add more stock if you think it needs it. If it does, return to the oven for approx another 10 mins, if not, add fresh herbs and parmesan, to compliment whatever recipe you've done. Finish that stage of the recipe back in the oven till you're 'happy' with the consistency, stir through a spoonful or two of creme fraiche and serve in 'warmed bowls' with grated parmesan available to sprinkle on, and some extra chopped fresh herbs.

I do this with Leeks, Chicken, Lemon Thyme, White Wine and Parmesan. And then when I'm bored with that one, I just 'play about with it a bit'.....
so, basically, whatever is good in the garden, along with loads of fresh herbs.

Simple. And whilst it's in the oven, you can get on and sow more seeds, do a spot of weeding, or pour yourself a nice glass of something and spend quality time with your man and the cat...

[TonyF]

Top tip from Antonio Carluccio, probably the worlds greatest risotto cook - make the stock and keep it in a pan on a low heat - putting cold stock into the rice is not good and takes longer to cook cos you cool it all the time with cold stock.

Nice hot stock works for me every time. And if you can get the organic, untreated rice, so much the better, Carluccio delis sell three types of risotto rice, not cheap at all but exquisite, always stock up when I come back to UK.

[wellie]

Tony,
You're right, and I forgot to say that.... a bit like trying to make mashed potato with cold milk, eh?!

[MaxBaz]

All the tips/suggestions of ingredients sound great to me - however I tend to saute all the dry ingredients first in a wide shallow pan, then add the rice last and give it a few minutes to absorb all the oil/butter before adding the stock or stock/wine with a little saffron presoaked in a tiny bit of hot water to give it colour. At this point I put on a clear pyrex lid and DON'T REMOVE IT UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. Shake the pan frequently and if you do absolutely have to add a little more liquid then do so, but ideally the liquid is absorbed without losing any liquid by taking off the lid. I usually allow about 20-25 minutes from the time the lid goes on until it is ready (medium heat)

[dexterdoglancashire]

Maxbaz - that is a very similar way that I cook ordinary boiled rice (Think Ive already put that in a thread somewhere) Its the BEST way to cook rice - I only learnt it last year, and Ive been (trying ) to cook rice for 20 years! Bernie

[stigoftheplot]

They had this on tv today. Stock has to be hot and added 2 ladles at a time. Soften onion & garlic, add rice & fry then add stock as above. Time 20 mins from when rice goes in so when cooked it's just got a slight bite still. Butter must be added ice cold so it emulsifies not just melts & lays on top. When your 20 mins is up, remove from or reduce heat add butter shake pan and stir vigorously to mix in. use any stock but she says not fish stock as if using fish thats enough.
There you go, never cook em myself as only me likes.