There are so many great things that make risotto so good:
- easy to make
- delicious
- comforting
- so versatile
- usually have all the basic ingredients on hand
- a great excuse to open a bottle of white wine
- 2 tbls of butter or olive oil or a combination of both
- 2 shallots or one medium onion, minced
- Fresh or dry herbs to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 cups of Arborio rice
- 1/2 cup of dry white wine
- 32 oz of chicken or veggie stock
- Parmesan cheese
- But here is the best part, adding what ever fresh veggies or meats you have on hand. Last night I added 1 & cups of porcini mushrooms and shredded oven roasted chicken. As for the herbs I did a combination of dried and fresh-from-the-garden thyme.
Heres how to make it.....
-Heat the butter and/or olive oil in a large sauce pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Once heated add the shallots or onions and mushrooms. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender. Then add the herbs, salt & pepper to your liking.
-Add the rice and stir until coated with the butter/olive oil. Add the wine, stir and let it bubble away.
-Now comes the patience part- add the stock 1/2 cup at a time. Stir each time it is added and every few minutes. When the stock is just about evaporated, add more. This can take up to 30 minutes. Be sure to stir often, but not constant. Try the rice after about 20 minutes, it needs to be tender with a little crunch.
-As for the constancy of the risotto, you don't want it to be soupy or dry. You'll understand what I mean when it happens....
-When finished add your cheese.
Now how you eat it or what you add to it is up to you. I love just serving it in a bowl, so comforting.
The only thing I was missing was truffle oil...... need to get a new bottle....
