There's nothing better in the rice world than a plate filled with creamy risotto. There are many steps to making it just right, and if at first you don't succeed, try, try again, says Daniel Mancini, Italian cooking expert and co-founder of Mama Mancini's meatballs.
The biggest mistake one can make is leaving the risotto while it's cooking.
"It's going to take around 20 to 25 minutes, and that's 20 to 25 minutes of constant stirring and never leaving the pot," he says. "If you leave the risotto, it will not come out right."
He suggests using the other hand for holding a glass of wine to "enjoy the risotto process."
Mancini says he has gone through a lot of trial and error to perfecting risotto.
"It seems like it took at least 100 pounds of rice," he says. "Of course, I'm just joking, but really it took a few tries to get it just right. I can say every time I make a risotto it comes out better than the last one."
He says there are a couple of key things to remember before starting, all having to do with using the best ingredients you can find. "If you decide to make risotto and spend the time making it, spend the extra money to get the best ingredients. It makes all the difference."
- Cheese: It should only be fresh, and wait until you are ready to make the risotto before grating it.
- Butter: Use a really good one, not a generic off-brand.
- Wine: Use a good chardonnay or other dry white wine. Not the $2 bottle at the grocery store but not the most expensive, either.
- Rice: Always use a short-grain risotto rice as your main ingredient. Arborio is the one most commonly used.
"Add one ladle of hot stock, or the preferred liquid you are using, one scoop at a time, and stir until it's absorbed," he advises. "The slow stirring and gradual adding of the liquid releases the creamy starch from the rice, which makes for a creamier risotto. Rush this process, and you will not have a creamy finish."
Once the risotto is fully cooked and creamy, you can add vegetables or seafood and other cheeses to it to change the flavor and texture just a bit.
"Add peas, asparagus, shrimp the possibilities are really endless," Mancini says. "For most people, risotto is an entree."
But you can serve it as a side with almost any meat, from chicken to fish and beef - even meatballs simmered in a slow-cooked sauce. No surprise that that's Mancini's favorite way. Here's his recipe for a risotto with mushrooms and shallots.
Mushroom and Shallot Risotto
- 48 ounces chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped shallots
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, washed and sliced
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Bring the stock to a boil in a saucepan, and place on simmer to keep hot. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil, and sauté the chopped shallots and mwushrooms until the mushrooms are tender and done (about 5 minutes), then move to a plate.
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the saucepan; once simmering add the rice and stir it briskly with a wooden spoon so that the grains are coated with the oil. Continue to stir until there is a slightly nutty aroma. Do not let the rice brown; stir the whole time.
On a medium-low heat (still stirring), add the wine, and stir until all the wine is absorbed and evaporated. Add a ladle (1/2 cup) of hot chicken stock to the rice, and stir until the liquid is fully absorbed. Adjust heat as needed. Don't rush this part.
As soon as the liquid is absorbed, add a ladle of stock while stirring the rice. As the risotto cooks, you will see it slowly become creamy. This is the starch from the rice being released. Keep adding the stock until the rice is tender to the bite and still a little firm. You may not have added all the stock, but that is fine. If you have added all the stock and the rice is still crunchy, you can add a little water and stir.
Remove from the heat, and stir in the butter, the parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, mushroom and shallots. Serve immediately with more grated cheese.
Tips: Continue to stir throughout. Keep the heat high enough to keep the process moving but not hot enough to burn the rice.
Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com.