IF you've never had risotto I highly recommend it. It is a creamy rice but it is pretty simple to make. Travis says it reminds him of rice and cream of chicken but it isn't as fattening. I usually use this recipe from food network. I do things a little different so I'll use an asterisk to say what I do differently.
Risotto is a traditional Italian comfort food made most often with a variety of short-grain rice called Arborio, which absorbs a lot of liquid and becomes quite plump and creamy. We usually prepare rice by adding the liquid to the rice all at once and leaving it to cook, covered and unattended. With risotto, you add the hot liquid to the rice gradually, stirring constantly. All this stirring may seem like a lot of work, but the warm, creamy risotto that results is well worth the effort.1 medium-size yellow onion
4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)
5 cups or more chicken broth, canned or homemade
2 cups Arborio rice (available in many supermarkets or specialty food stores)
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Preparing the Rice Peel and finely chop the onion.
Melt the butter in a 4-to-5-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring regularly.
Add the onion and cook, continuing to stir, until it turns soft and translucent. Turn the heat down if the onion starts to brown. **Since I have picky eaters I usually don't do the onion. I just use a bit of onion powder. I let that cook with the butter for a few minutes before I had the rice.**
Meanwhile, pour the chicken broth into a separate saucepan, set over medium heat, and bring to a gentle simmer. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain this simmer the whole time you are preparing the risotto. **I almost always use 6 C maybe more. I would use 2 cans and then just add 1 1/2 of water at first. If it looks like I am running out I add another cup of water.****
Once the onion is soft, add the rice and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary -- if the rice is cooked at too high a heat, it will turn brown and take on an undesirable flavor. **This is key!! The rice will turn a bit translucent. That is when I add the liquid**
Adding the Liquid to the Rice
Using a ladle, scoop up about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of broth. Pour it in the pan with the rice, stirring constantly with a spoon. After the first addition of broth, the rice mixture will look a bit soupy.
As the rice begins to cook, stir it constantly, making sure that you scrape along the bottom of the pan so that it does not stick. You should see little bubbles popping up on the liquid from time to time. If it bubbles more vigorously than this, turn the heat down to medium-low.
When most of the liquid is absorbed into the rice and the rice begins to look a bit dry, add another ladle of broth to the pan and stir constantly, as before.
Determining When the Risotto Is Cooked
Continue to add the broth in 1/2-to-3/4-cup batches and stir the rice until you have used most of the broth (this will probably take about 20 minutes). It is now time to test whether the risotto is cooked. Spoon up a grain of rice and bite into it -- it should be tender without being too mushy. If it is still crunchy and tastes a bit starchy, you will need to continue adding liquid and cooking further. **here it usually takes 25-35 minutes depending on the day**
If it looks as if you will run out of chicken broth and your rice is still not cooked, don't be alarmed. Because of variations in individual stoves and cooking temperatures, you may need more liquid than called for in the recipe. Simply heat up another cup or 2 of chicken broth (or water).
When the rice is tender and the risotto has a creamy consistency, almost like thick oatmeal, it is done.
*Once it is done I add usually 2 more TBS butter and the cheese. I like to use sautéed mushrooms (portabella or the white buttons). I slice up a package and then sautee them in the pan with a little oil. I take them out and then follow the rest of the recipe since it cuts down on the dishes. If you use mushrooms I would recommend VEGETABLE BROTH and not chicken broth. Hope you enjoy! Remember you have to keep an eye on this and stir it a bit.
