Risotto Made Easy

Here is a quick and easy way to make risotto. Risotto can be made with different rice types, but the go to rice for most of these savory dishes is Arborio rice. Risotto has it’s origin in northern Italy, being made with rice, stock(or wine) and even saffron to give it the traditional yellow color. This rice dish has a creamy consistency, even though it contains no cream, and a slight al dente bite in the rice when cooked properly.

We are going to start by toasting the rice with butter, which gives the final product a nutty aroma and taste from the butter, and a savory sauce that comes from the cooking process. Let’s hop right into making this dish, because it isn’t as hard as it sounds.

-What We Need-

• 1 Cup of Arborio Rice

• 1 Quart or 32 Ounces of Stock(It can be any stock you want, but if you are cooking a certain protein such as beef, make it with a beef stock, or chicken with chicken stock, etc.)

• 2 Tablespoons of Unsalted Butter

• Freshly Grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese

• Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to Taste

-Let’s Make It-

1) The first step to making risotto is to melt your butter over a medium heat on the stove in a wide pan. you want the butter to clear and then brown slightly in color.

2) Once your butter is melted and slightly browned, add your cup of rice, thoroughly coating your rice in the melted butter, and proceed to “toast” your rice.

3) When your rice is toasted and you can smell a light and nutty aroma, add about a cup of your stock to the pan, moving it around and making sure the rice is getting coated. Bring the stock to a simmer and reduce by half, stirring constantly.

4) Once the stock looks to be almost completely absorbed by the rice, add a second cup of stock, and repeat stirring and reducing and adding more stock until you’ve added the last of the stock.

5) When you add the last of your stock to the pan, add your parmesan or Romano cheese, about 1/4 cup, but I would just eyeball it according to how much you like cheese.

6) Stir the risotto and reduce until the rice has just about absorbed all of the stock, remove from the heat, an season with salt and pepper. Cover your pan and let sit for about 5 minutes to allow to cool down and finish.

7) Serve and enjoy. You can eat risotto by itself, or with a protein, such as braised beef, or a creamy garlic roasted chicken.

This has been another easy recipe, featuring one of my favorite rice dishes to make. Risotto is a rich and savory experience that anyone can make in their kitchen with minimal effort. I’m glad you guys stayed this long, and as always. Stay happy. Stay Healthy. Stay Cooking.