What is Risotto

Risotto is one of the most widely used ways to cook rice in Italy. Personally, I do not like rice – that loose rice – I just don’t feel like eating it, partly because of culture and what’s so fancy with a plain rice? However, when it is cook like it is somewhat somehow glued together with some wine, butter, etc. in it to an almost cheating thing … who can resist?

Risotto is usually eaten as an accompaniment or as a starter in Italy. It consists mostly of risotto rice, broth, butter, wine, onions and maybe other vegetables. In Denmark, risotto is often eaten as the main course, so we distinguish ourselves significantly from the Italian original use.

What is Risotto?

Risotto is a dish from Northern Italy that is made from rice cooked in a broth to a creamy consistency. The broth can be derived from meat, fish, or vegetables. Many types of risotto contain butter, wine, and onion. It is one of the most common ways of cooking rice in Italy. There are many varieties of risotto, usually they only differ on the ingredients and the kind of stock/broth used in the process.

For four people you will need

• 7½ dl vegetable broth
• 2 shallots
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp. oil
• 30 g butter
• 200 g of rice potato
• 2 dl white wine
• 125 g mascarpone
• 40 g parmesan
• Lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon of chives
• 500 g of mushrooms – free choice on all shelves, you may also want to mix
• Salt and pepper

How to make Risotto

1. Heat the broth in a saucepan and keep it warm – possibly by leaving it on the lowest heat or putting it on an oven.
2. Chop the onion and garlic nicely.
3. Sauté those in the half oil/half butter combination in a saucepan or pan till the onions and garlic are ready – they should not get brown.
4. Add the rice and simmer for a minute.
5. Add white wine and season with salt (just add little since the broth are already seasoned with salt). Let the wine boil almost completely away.
6. Turn down the heat so it just simmer.
7. Now add the broth onto it a little at a time. Allow the rice to suck almost all of the broth before re-pouring a spoon on it. Continue this way until the rice is al dente – approx. 15-20 minutes.
8. Remove the pan / saucepan from the heat and add the mascarpone and finely chopped/grated parmesan in the rice cake. The rice cake must be creamy. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Let the risotto rest for 3-4 minutes.
9. Cook the mushrooms in the rest of the butter and spice them with salt and pepper. Turn them into the rice cake and sprinkle with the garlic clove. Serve immediately.

Then, risotto is served and whether you eat it for starters or main course, it still is good. We love this recipe and we hope you will love it just as much as we do 🙂

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

And then just a food quote:

“I’m cooking with wine. And sometimes I also add wine to the food. “- W.C. Fields