How to make the best risotto

mushroom and leek risottoOriginally uploaded by nyxie.

The May 2006 issue of Fine Cooking has a great article about the art of making risotto. Rather than telling you exactly which ingredients to use, it gives you a very simple seven step method to follow with whichever items your heart desires. As someone who loves playing with new food ideas (and also loves a good risotto) I decided to try it out.

The results of the experiment are shown. Rich and I both conclude they are quite delicious indeed.

If you’d like to try this out yourself, here are the basic instructions:

Step one: Read through these steps and choose your ingredients. Prepare any meats or vegetables that need to be pre-cooked. Heat 5-7 cups of your choice of liquid (neede for step 5) in a large pot so it is hot but not boiling, and keep it simmering until you need it.

Step two: Sweat your aromatics. Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a good-sized saute pan or dutch oven over medium heat. Add two cups of leeks, onions, or shallots (or a combination of them that adds up to two cups). Cook slowly until softened, then add 1/2 cup of water and turn the heat down to medium-low. Continue cooking until water is completely gone and your aromatics are glistening but not brown.

Step three: Toast your rice and add the wine. Add 2 cups of risotto rice and turn the heat back up to medium. Stir constantly for 3 minutes until rice is toasted. Then add 1 cup of dry white wine and stir constantly until it is absorbed.

Step four: Add some flavour! Add in one or two things to give the risotto some extra flavour. Choose from 1/2 tsp of saffron (steeped in 1/2 cup of hot water), 1 1/2 cups of pureed tomatoes, 2 cups of finely sliced radicchio, or 1-1 1/2 cups of dried mushrooms (soaked in 2 cups of water and cut into bite-sized pieces).

Step five: Add your liquid in increments. This is the part that is the most time consuming of making risotto, but it is also the most important. Start by adding in 1-2 cups of any kind of broth (or just hot water if you don’t have broth), stirring until it is absorbed. Then add in another 1 cup at a time, stirring in each addition until it is absorbed as well. Once your rice is almost al dente, continue on to step six. You should still have some remaining broth or water at this point.

Step six: Add vegetables, seafood, or meat. You can add in as many items as you like, although I recommend only putting in one or two in order to not overpower the dish. Some ideas include: 2 cups of sauteed leeks, zucchini, asparagus, or butternut squash; 1 pound of peeled and deveined shrimp or scallops; 6 oz of cooked sausage, bacon, pancetta, chicken, beef, or pork. No matter what you choose, make sure to continue adding in your broth or water as before.

Step seven: After you’ve added in at least 5 cups of broth and the dish is creamy and al dente, remove the pot from the heat. Add in one or two finishing flavours (good choices include parsley, mint, basil, lemon zest, orange zest, or balsamic vinegar), 2 Tbsp of unsalted butter or good olive oil, and about 1 cup of parmesan or similar cheese. Stir well and serve immediately.

Feeds 6 hungry people.