Recipe Corner: Basic Risotto

While my friend Hope over at Hopie's Kitchen is a much more accomplished and inventive chef than I am, I do enjoy cooking (and love to bake!), and I'd like to share recipes with you every now and then. I don't have pictures of this first one, because I didn't think to take any until after I'd scarfed down every bit of the leftovers at lunch today, but next time, I'll definitely include some photos - it always helps to see the end result you're aiming for, and some of the process.

Anyway, here we go...

Basic Risotto
Servings: 2 - 4 as main dish, depending on what you add; 3-5 as side dish
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30-40 minutes
Difficulty: If you can grate cheese, boil water and stir, you can handle it!

Despite the intimidatingly authentic Italian images the word risotto can call to mind, it's actually pretty easy to make. This recipe is what you could call a base risotto - nothing but arborio rice and cheese - comments on how to change it or jazz it up follow the recipe below.

Ingredients:
2 tbs. (extra virgin) olive oil
1 cup arborio rice
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Directions:
1a. Grate cheese. I do this while waiting for the water to boil in step 1.
1. Prepare chicken broth. You can use whatever broth you prefer - I use Knorr Chicken Bouillon cubes, by Lipton. They come in a pack of 6 extra large cubes, one of which is perfect for 2 cups of strong broth (if you prefer a weaker broth, just use half of a cube). You can usually find them near the powdered soups in your grocery store. So for me, this step involves boiling water, pouring 2 cups over a cube of bouillon in a Pyrex measuring cup and dissolving the cube.
2. Add 2 tbs. olive oil to a medium saucepan on medium heat (I use the medium-high setting, but medium will work) and allow it to warm for a minute or two.
3. Add 1 cup arborio rice to the saucepan. (Usually sold with other varieties of rice in your grocery store - Giant, Safeway and Harris Teeter all carry at least one brand of it. You can also find it in most gourmet food stores that carry European items.) Stir for 1-2 minutes, coating the rice with olive oil and allowing it to heat.
4. Pour 1 cup chicken broth into the saucepan, stirring every minute or so to keep the rice from sticking. Continue until most of the broth has been absorbed - there should be a thin layer of liquid left on top, just enough so that the rice isn't in danger of burning or sticking.
5. Pour in 1/2 cup white wine and 1/2 cup water, again stirring about every minute. Continue until most of the liquid has been absorbed. (The white wine may create a little froth on top as the alcohol is cooked off - that's normal.)
6. Pour in remaining cup chicken broth, stirring about every minute. Continue until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed (moreso than in the previous two steps - the risotto should remain moist, but you don't want any liquid sloshing around) and turn off the stove.
7. Add about half the cheese (~1/4 cup) and stir it in to melt it, then add the rest and stir it in, setting aside some cheese to sprinkle over the top, if you like. (I stir in half the cheese at a time to ensure an even distribution, but you can just as easily dump it all in at once.)
8. Serve, top with cheese if you want, and enjoy!

Despite the fact that you have to be in the kitchen the vast majority of the time with this dish, it's one of my staples. (I usually just stand there with a book, reading and stirring every 30-60 seconds.) Basically all you need is the rice, the olive oil, the cheese and three cups of liquid. You could do it with just water and experiment with spices, although you'd have to be a lot more confident with spices than I am for that. Or with just chicken broth, or with 2 cups chicken broth and 1 cup water, cutting out the wine. Sometimes if I'm trying to finish off a bottle of white wine I didn't like for drinking, I'll use a whole cup and cut out the half cup of water - it gives the risotto more bite, which I like.

I've also done a red wine risotto, with two cups of water and one of red wine (Chianti - a cheap one, no need for Black Rooster chianti for cooking! - or any Italian or Spanish red should be fine. You generally want a strong wine, not something delicate in flavor like a pinot noir, when cooking with reds.). The cheese doesn't have to be parmesan, and you can add as much or as little as you like. Last night I had a small chunk of sharp white cheddar in the fridge, so I used up the cheddar and filled in the rest with parmesan. Any hard white cheese will work - I've used Swiss in the past, and it's equally good.

As far as additions go, pretty much any green vegetable (asparagus, peas, string beans, broccoli) is a great one with the chicken broth risotto as a base. Chicken (surprise, surprise) also works well, added just before the cheese - cubed or sliced and grilled or sautéed before you add it - you can also add veggies along with the chicken. I haven't tried beef with this because I don't eat a lot of it, but it might work with the red wine risotto - red wine risotto served as a side dish with steak would probably be great! My favorite addition for the chicken broth or the red wine risotto is sautéed mushrooms - "baby bella" when I can find them for not too ridiculous a price.

I'll add photos the next time I make this - in the meantime, be sure to let me know if you have any great risotto tips, or how you like it if you make the recipe!