musings, mutterings, and creative muddle. . .





Thursday, October 20, 2011

Tastefully Basic Risotto

I LOVE risotto - it's creamy, it's rich, it's tender-chewy, it's versatile, it's easy to fix - extremely tasty even when reheated. . .



Risotto is Wonderful!
There are many different suggestions on the best ingredients to add, and methods to cook to come up with the perfect risotto.  We've made risotto a variety of different ways over the years, and though our version may not win any awards, it makes our tastebuds quite deliriously happy!  Some chefs, recipes, and sites describe the cooking process as tedious and difficult - but I'm here to tell you, it's not.  I don't like tedious and time-consuming recipes and do my best to figure out the best way to 'short cut' around all the 'drama' for a still-tasty result.  I think Hubster and I have this one figured out:-)



Basic Risotto

3 Tbsp butter
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1-1/2 arborio rice
4+ cups chicken broth - warmed
1 Tbsp porcini mushroom powder

Heat butter in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add diced onion.


Saute onion until just translucent, add arborio rice


and stir and cook over medium-high heat


until rice is golden - about 10 minutes


While rice is 'frying', warm up the broth you will be using.  We used a chicken base mixed with water to create four cups,


you can use any flavor; canned or homemade-fresh broth is also great to use.
Once rice is golden, add about one cup of your broth to the pan


Cook and stir over medium-high heat, and add 1 Tbsp mushroom powder.


Making sure to never let the rice cook 'dry', continue to add broth a cup at a time as it cooks down.


After about 20 minutes from adding the first cup of broth, start checking the rice for doneness.  You want it 'al dente' - chewy and tender with no crunch.  You may need to add more broth (or hot water) to achieve the right texture.


Once the grains reach the correct doneness, remove from heat.  Before serving, if desired, stir in up to one cup of freshly grated parmesan or asiago, or add 1/4 cup of fresh parsley or oregano.  Some people even like to add a little cream or butter to make the risotto even richer.

This recipe serves 6 - 8 people.  We like to make a large batch because it's So Tasty and it reheats marvelously!  You can serve this recipe as a side dish one evening, then add peas, tomatoes, parmesan, and bits of meat for a lunch-casserole the next day. . .

We made smoked cornish hens to go along with our risotto. . . Or, I should say, we made risotto to go along with our smoked cornish hens:-)



Have a Tastefully-Basic kind of day ~

Robin Z

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