Ingredients

Instructions
RISOTTO: It's all in the rice.

Well, maybe not entirely -- the cooking method is important too. But technique alone won't give you the rich, creamy texture of authentic risotto. You have to use the right kind of rice. Many of us have come to identify risotto with Arborio, but other varieties, such as Carnaroli, Baldo, and Vialone Nano, make excellent risotto as well.

Compared to Carnaroli and Vialone Nano, Arborio and Baldo have a higher starch content and tend to absorb less liquid, resulting in a stickier, more compact risotto. They're also less forgiving, going from just right to overcooked in a heartbeat.

Carnaroli and, even more so, Vailone Nano contain less starch and absorb lots of liquid, producing a creamier, fluid risotto. Vialone Nano is especially suited to seafood risottos, which are traditionally looser.

Some supermarkets carry Carnaroli in addition to Arborio, but the other two are more of a gourmet shop product.

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A fresh batch of risotto takes at least 30 minutes to prepare. How then, you might wonder, does your favorite Italian restaurant manage to serve you a hot dish of perfectly cooked risotto in about 10 minutes? The answer is par-cooking. If you try to make risotto ahead completely and then reheat it, it'll be overcooked and mushy. Instead you can cook it until it's about halfway done -- the rice should still be rather firm inside -- and then spread it out on a baking sheet to stop cooking and cool. Cover the rice and set it aside at room temperature for up to two hours. When you're ready to serve the risotto, return it to the pot and resume adding hot liquid until it's perfectly al dente, a few minutes later.

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Yields: 4 Servings
     FINE COOKING magazine, April/May 2006, page 74

notes: 

Cuisine:   Info

Main Ingredient:   Info