risotto is such a beloved dish but it can come off as daunting and complicated if you don't follow a few important rules we're gonna break down the steps it takes to make an absolutely perfect risotto

Ingredients for Risotta Recipe

  1. 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
  2. 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  3. 1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)
  4. 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  5. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  6. 1 small onion, finely chopped
  7. 2 garlic cloves, minced
  8. 2 tablespoons olive oil
  9. Salt and pepper to taste
  10. Chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

STEPS

  • Risotto is traditionally made with arborio rice which is a type of short grain rice it has a high starch content which allows it to become creamier once cooked you can use other types of rice or grains like long grain rice farro or barley but we'd recommend sticking with arborio 
  • there's no hard and fast line when it comes to achieving the ideal consistency however a good rule of thumb is for every one cup of rice use four to six cups of stock we're using chicken stock but you can use the stock of your choice or even hot water in a pinch
  • we're going to bring the stock to a boil over high heat if you add cold stock to your rice it won't cook through or achieve that ideal creamy texture as our stock comes to a boil we need to select the right pot for the risotto make sure to use a tall pot as you continuously add stock the rice will double in size and if your pot is too small it could overflow
  • once the stock is boiling reduce the heat to a simmer or just keep it close by the important thing is that the stock stays warm
  • bring your risotto pot to the stove and reduce the heat to medium
  • now add your oil to the pan once the oil is hot it's time to add your allium of choice we're going with shallots if you don't want to use shallots you can use other alliums like onions scallions or garlic whichever you prefer 
  • you're going to cook the shallots until they're translucent
  • at this point add the mushrooms and butter cooking down until soft and tender this is going to take a little while so be patient that's really the theme of this dish but if you don't like mushrooms you can skip the step and go straight to adding the rice once your mushrooms have cooked down add the garlic thyme salt and pepper again this is just for an extra boost of flavor but you can experiment with the seasonings of your choice
  • now it's time to add the rice stir the rice until it's fully coated with mushroom mixture you want to toast the rice but not burn it this will take a minute or two 
  • next add a splash of wine this adds a boost of acidity to the dish if you don't want to use alcohol you can swap it for lemon juice when the wine is cooked off that's the sign it's time to start adding the stock word to the wise patience really is virtue when it comes to making risotto you want to add just enough stock to cover the rice stirring fairly constantly until it's absorbed 
  • don't try to rush the process by adding more stock this won't allow the rice to cook evenly and you'll end up with a soupy mess continue to add the stock bit by bit until the rice is al dente which takes about 15 to 20 minutes
  • you'll know it's done when the rice has just a bit of firmness left in it and the texture is creamy if you can pull the spoon through the risotto and it slowly oozes back in place you're done for extra creaminess and flavor add some grated parmesan and stir to combine and

that's it you're done