Proper Risotto is a classic recipe. Cooking rice in Italian: the most delicious classic risotto recipes

cooking secrets

Risotto is one of the culinary symbols of Northern Italy, like pizza and spaghetti. This dish appeared by chance, thanks to the distraction of the cook, who cooked rice soup, but forgot about it, and all the broth evaporated. Surprisingly, the cook found in the pan delicious rice, Looks like delicate cream, with pieces of vegetables and meat. The first recipes for Italian risotto appeared already in the 16th century, and now there are about a thousand ways to prepare this dish. All of them are prepared according to the same scheme: rice is fried in oil with onions, poured with broth or water, stewed, then vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, meat or seafood are added to it, while the ingredients may change. Sometimes, for a creamy texture, grated cheese mixed with butter is added to the dish at the end of cooking. You don't have to go to Italy to try it italian dishes you can do it at home too! So, let's talk about how to cook at home.

best risotto broth

Italian housewives prepare risotto in a maximum of 20 minutes, but they prepare all the ingredients for the dish in advance, such as broth. Risotto can be cooked in fish, beef and vegetable broth, but classic risotto recipes use chicken broth boiled in good water with vegetables and spices. The flavor of the chicken pairs perfectly with the rice!

It is better to cook the chicken in well-purified drinking water with the addition of carrots, onions, petiole celery, parsley root, green pea pods, leeks, juniper, white or black peppercorns. And of course, do not forget about the bouquet garni, which includes three essential components - parsley, thyme and Bay leaf, diluted with tarragon, basil, rosemary, thyme and savory. These seasonings can be added to dried and fresh and salting the broth is better sea ​​salt- it's tastier and healthier.

The broth is prepared in the usual way: put the chicken in cold and slightly salted water, after boiling, reduce the heat, remove the foam, add vegetables and spices and cook for about 2 hours over low heat. 30 minutes before readiness, pour in a little dry white wine, a couple of minutes before readiness, put bunches of greens into the pan. Then you need to cool and strain the broth. According to this recipe, you can also cook broths from other products, only by changing the cooking time, because vegetables and mushrooms cook faster.

Soft outside, hard inside

There are several hundred varieties of rice in the world, but only three varieties are intended for risotto - arborio, carnaroli and vialone nano. These medium-grain starchy varieties have a unique feature - they include two types of starch. The starch on the surface becomes soft very quickly, so the grains acquire a creamy texture on the outside when cooked. The starch filling the core of the grain retains its hardness even after long boil so the rice is soft on the outside and firm on the inside. Therein lies its highlight. In no case should you wash the rice before putting it into the water, otherwise the surface layer will be broken and instead of risotto you will get rice porrige. When choosing rice in the store, you can safely buy a package called "Rice for risotto". Most likely, this is arborio, since it is problematic to find other varieties in Russian stores. However, arborio is very good and beautiful rice, outwardly similar to river pearls. The quality of the rice is very important, because it is on it that the dish rests. By the way, about the proportions - for 100 g of rice you need to take about 500 ml of broth.

A few words about products for risotto

The classic cheese for risotto is hard grainy parmesan or grana padano, the wine must be white and dry. It is recommended to use only butter, since risotto is a dish of the northern Italian regions, and olives grow in the south, however, in modern recipes a combination of butter and olive oils is allowed. Naturally, the oil should have a fat content of 82.5%.

It is better to take onions yellow and white, not red, it should be cut very finely so that it does not introduce disharmony into the creamy consistency of the dish. Another important component risotto is saffron. This ingredient is mentioned in Milanese risotto recipes. You need to purchase it only in the store, and in whole, despite the fact that in the eastern bazaar, sellers offer to buy a glass of saffron for 300 rubles. In no case should this be done, because the true cost of the spice is from $ 10 per gram, and this gram will be enough for you for more than 40 risottos. To prepare the dish, an infusion of saffron is used, for which several stamens are poured into hot broth and left for 30 minutes until the liquid acquires an orange tint. Another option is to dissolve the saffron in wine.

Important points for preparing risotto

First, onions and other vegetables are fried in a pan - until soft and transparent, but without formation golden brown. Then rice is poured in and mixed with vegetables for half a minute, then wine is poured in, and the stirring process continues until the liquid is absorbed into the rice. Next, add one ladle of hot broth, while you need to stir the rice intensively until it absorbs the liquid. When half of the broth remains, rice is introduced main ingredient- saffron water, as well as mushrooms, seafood, meat or necessary vegetables, then the broth is poured in parts again (with stirring). Exactly 17 minutes from the start of cooking, the pan is removed from the heat, for 2 minutes it should remain completely still so that the rice rests and cools down a bit. Finally, cubes of cold butter and grated cheese are spread over the rice, after which the risotto is well kneaded or shaken to evenly distribute the butter and cheese.

Stir the rice constantly important condition cooking right risotto, and to make it work, prepare all the products in advance, and then you will not have to be distracted by onions or cheese. By the way, Italians do not add cheese to seafood risotto, believing that they are not very compatible with each other. You should be careful with salt and pepper when making risotto, as well-aged cheeses are salty and spicy. Before cooking, taste the dish and, if necessary, add salt.

How to make risotto especially tasty: secrets from the chef

If you are cooking risotto with chicken broth, add some tarragon to the pot while cooking the chicken, and dill is good for making seafood broth. These seasonings improve the taste of the dish and make the risotto unusually fragrant. Chicken soup set for the broth, you can put it in the oven for 5 minutes and then cook the broth from it, which will turn out to be strong, tasty and golden. The same can be done with vegetables for the broth - hold them in the oven or in a hot frying pan until light scorch marks form.

It is better to crush peppercorns before cooking, then the aroma will be especially bright. By the way, to make the broth low-calorie, it is recommended to cool it and remove the frozen fat.

All products for risotto must be highest quality, so you should not use wine for broth just because it turned out to be too sour, or add dried cheese to rice.

Another feature of the dish is its versatility, because each Italian region cooks in its own way, so there are many recipes for how to cook risotto. Instead of dry white wine, feel free to add dessert or sparkling wine, classic hard cheese replace soft cheeses or moldy varieties, and as a substitute for butter, use cream cheeses, cream or olive oil.

Experimenting with risotto

IN old recipes this dish could be found egg yolks, sausage, sugar, milk and breadcrumbs, but even now chefs love to experiment with risotto. For example, if you add to a dish green pea, get the Venetian version. Some Milanese cooks roast onion and garlic on bone marrow, and during the Renaissance, this dish was served on bull brain, and this serving turned risotto into a delicacy.

Asparagus, artichokes, cauliflower, celery and zucchini are considered diet dish- you can add to it for piquancy and freshness lemon juice. Risotto often becomes a filling for pies, it is also filled with minced tomatoes, eggplant and peppers, and it is also cooked in the oven like a casserole. Avocados, tomatoes, carrots, beans, sausages, servelat and other products are also added to this dish.

Risotto can be prepared for dessert if rice is boiled in milk or berry broth, and then fruits, berries, dried fruits and nuts are added to it. It turns out very tasty sweet risotto with pumpkin, chocolate or chestnuts.

Step by step risotto recipe

So, you have mastered the theory, and now try to cook a classic Milanese risotto with saffron and white wine. All the details are described above, so the recipe is given without details.

Ingredients: chicken broth - 5.5 cups, rice for risotto - 360 g, white dry wine- 120 ml, onion - 1 pc., butter- 30 g, champignons - 150 g, olive oil - 2 tbsp. l., parmesan - 120 g, saffron - 1 pinch, salt - to taste, black ground pepper- taste.

Cooking method:

1. Add saffron to wine.

2. Bring the broth to a boil and close the lid.

3. Finely chop the onion, chop the mushrooms medium and fry in olive oil until softened, this will take you about 5 minutes. The bow should keep its color.

4. Add rice to the onion and mix well for a minute.

5. Pour the saffron wine into the rice, lower the heat and cook, stirring, until the rice has completely absorbed the wine.

6. Add one ladleful of broth to the rice and stir again until absorbed. So pour in a ladleful of broth until it runs out. On average, rice is cooked for about 25 minutes; when ready, it resembles a cross between a second rice dish and rice soup from which all the liquid has boiled away.

7. Salt, pepper, add diced cold butter and grated parmesan. Stir and serve.

Your family will certainly appreciate Italian risotto and when you learn to cook classic version dishes, pay attention to other risotto recipes, photos and descriptions of which are published on our website.

Risotto with porcini mushrooms

Mushroom risotto has an appetizing look and unusual aroma. Boil 2 liters of chicken broth with carrots, onions and spices. Bring to a boil 60 g dried porcini mushrooms in a glass chicken broth and let them sit for half an hour. Grind the swollen mushrooms, strain the liquid, pour back into the broth and bring to a boil.

In 2–3 tbsp. l. olive oil, fry a finely chopped onion until transparent, add 300 g of arborio rice to the pan and fry, stirring, for 3 minutes. Pour in a glass of dry white wine and simmer while stirring for another 3 minutes. Put the mushrooms in the rice, pour in 2 more ladles of broth and cook until the liquid is absorbed. Gradually add the broth and stir for 18-20 minutes. Remove the rice from the heat, let it stand for a minute, and then add 40 g of butter and 100 g of grated parmesan. Serve the risotto on warm plates, garnishing the dish with fresh herbs.

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Rice is one of the few cereals National food on the basis of which there are in most countries of the world. So the Italian cuisine did not disregard this miracle product. Risotto - rice dish cooked in broth. It is common in all regions of the republic, but it is still preferred in the north of the country. At home, it is usually served first before the main meal. Huge variety types of risotto makes it an attractive target for both restaurant and home cooks. Our article is a casual guide to the world where rice rules.

The history of risotto is naturally linked to the history of rice in Italy. Groats were first brought to the country by the Arabs in the Middle Ages. The humidity coming from the Mediterranean Sea was ideal for growing this crop.

The popularity of rice grew, but mainly among the wealthy population due to exorbitant prices for the product. As soon as mass sales of cereals abroad began, its cost in the republic quickly began to decline. This contributed to its presence in almost every home.

Supposedly, the first recipe for risotto dates back to 1809, when a young glassblower from Flanders, accustomed to using saffron as a pigment in his craft, added the spice to boiled rice at a wedding celebration.

As a dish with an established recipe for risotto, it was first mentioned in the book Trattato di cucina (Treatise on Cooking) in 1854. However, the question of who exactly invented the dish that has become traditional is still open in Italy.

Varieties of rice for cooking

Risotto is usually made with round or short grain rice. Such varieties have the ability to absorb liquid and release starch. Therefore, they are stickier when cooked than long-grain cereals.

The main varieties of rice from which the dish is cooked in Italy are called: A rborio (Arborio), Baldo (Baldo), Carnaroli (Carnaroli), Maratelli (Maratelli), Padano (Padano), Roma (Roma), Vialone Nano (Vialone Nano).

Carnaroli, Maratelli and Vialone Nano are considered the best and most expensive options. Moreover, the first of them is less likely to be digested. And the latter - cooks faster and absorbs seasonings better.

Species like Roma and Baldo won't have the signature risotto creamy taste. It is believed that they are better suited for soups and sweet rice desserts.

Varieties by region

Risotto is so versatile that almost every chef can boast their own masterpiece. But there are varieties whose recipes do not need to be supplemented. All of them have traditional names:

• Risotto alla milanese (Risotto alla milanese) - a dish born in. Prepare it for beef broth with beef marrow, lard and. Flavored and tinted with saffron. We recommend reading the article.
• Risotto al Barolo is a Piedmontese dish. Made with red wine and Borlotti beans.
• Risotto al nero di seppia (Risotto al nero di seppia) is a dish specific to the region. It contains cuttlefish and its ink, which gives it a jet black color.

• Risi e bisi (Risi e bisi) is another representative of Veneto. This spring version of cooking is more like thick soup and is usually served with a spoon rather than a fork. Young green peas are added to it and seasoned.
• Risotto alla zucca (Risotto alla zucca) - pumpkin dish with saffron and grated cheese.
• Risotto alla pilota is a dish typical of Mantova. They cook it with, pork and.
• Risotto ai fungi (Risotto ai funghi) - mushroom variant cooking rice. In its composition, porcini mushrooms, boletus, summer mushrooms or champignons are more often present.

In Italy, the term risotto means not so much a rice dish as a special technology for its preparation. Therefore, there are great amount its types.

Recipes

It is not possible to list all risotto recipes in one or even several articles. Not only around the world, but even within the borders of Italy itself, no one will undertake to calculate their exact number. Therefore, in the article we have selected the options that are most popular.

Classical

As well as from the “song of words you can’t throw out”, so in the recipes national dishes it is impossible to pass by the classics. For risotto, the Milanese version is traditional. That is what we will look at first.

Required Ingredients:

• Round-grain rice - 320 g;
• Meat broth - 1l;
• Dry white wine - 100 ml;
• Beef bone marrow - 30 g;
• Butter - 60 g;
• Saffron stigmas (16 pieces) or ground saffron (1 sachet);
• Onion - ½ pc.;
• Hard cheese (parmesan, grana padano) - 50 g;
• Salt to taste.

It is unlikely that you will find prepared beef marrow on sale. But he's in enough found in the femur and tibia. It is perfectly separated from hard tissue with a narrow spoon.

If you do not have the opportunity to purchase any of the famous Italian hard cheese, then use domestic products (Gouda, Tilsiter, Russian).

So, first of all, we prepare saffron in case of using stigmas. They need to be filled with 50 ml hot water and leave for 2 hours.
Next, in a frying pan with high sides, melt 30 g of butter and fry finely chopped onion and bone marrow on it. Add rice and fry until the grains become shiny. At this point, add white wine and let it evaporate over high heat.

Salt to taste, add hot broth just enough to completely cover the rice. During cooking over medium heat, stir the cereal several times. Add broth if necessary.

A few minutes before readiness, add infusion or saffron powder. Mix thoroughly again.

Remove the pan from the heat and enrich the flavor of the risotto with the remaining butter and grated cheese. Let cool for 5 minutes. Your Milanese risotto is ready to serve!

With mushrooms

Mushrooms are one of the most valuable gifts given to us by Mother Earth. No better way to enjoy their taste than to cook risotto with porcini mushrooms. Its creamy, enveloping taste will not only pamper the family in weekdays, but will become great addition to the holiday table.

Ingredients for mushroom risotto:

• Round-grain rice - 320 g;
• White mushrooms - 400 g;
• Vegetable broth - 1 l;
• Small onion - 1 pc.;
• Garlic - 1 clove;
• Butter - 30 g (+30 g for serving);
• Olive oil - 2 tbsp. spoons;
• Salt and black ground pepper to taste;
• Hard cheese - 50 g;
• Chopped parsley - 2 tbsp. spoons.

In the absence of white mushrooms, they are replaced by any available options. But it is worth remembering that bright mushroom flavor and only the “kings of the forest kingdom” will give a unique velvety taste to the dish.

First of all, we prepare vegetable broth. In about 2 liters of water, boil coarsely chopped carrots, onions, celery for 1 hour (you can add a tomato, pepper in a pot). Strain and season with salt to taste.

After preparing the broth, we are engaged in porcini mushrooms. We remove the remnants of the earth, if any, and wipe with a damp cloth. We wash a very soiled fungus under running water and collect moisture with a dry towel. Next, cut the mushrooms lengthwise into slices 7-8 mm thick.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and lightly fry the minced garlic clove. Then turn up the heat and add the mushrooms. Fry for 10 minutes until golden brown, salt and pepper. Mushrooms prepared in this way will crunch nicely in the main dish.

Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the onion. Melt the butter in a saucepan and send the onion there. Simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes, if necessary, add a spoonful of broth. When the onion softens, pour the rice and fry for a couple of minutes.

Pour the grits completely covered with an oily shell with a ladle of broth and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. As it absorbs, add a small amount of liquids. We make sure that small boiling bubbles are constant. When the rice is almost ready, as the Italians say "al dente", add the mushrooms and wait another 5-7 minutes. Turn off the heat and add salt to taste.

At the end, season the risotto grated on coarse grater cheese and remaining butter, mix well. Garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

Mushroom risotto is best eaten fresh. You can store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 1-2 days.

With seafood

Risotto with seafood - a classic dish Italian cuisine great for warming up on cold days. At first glance, the recipe may seem rather complicated. In fact, it does not require special culinary skills. You just need to carefully choose seafood. In our version, we took mussels, oysters, shrimp and squid. But the types of seafood can vary according to your taste.

Required Ingredients:

• Round-grain rice - 320 g;
• Mussels in shell - 1 kg;
• Oysters - 1 kg;
• Peeled squids - 400 g;
• Shrimp - 350 g;
• Parsley - 1 bunch;
• Garlic - 2 cloves;
• Dry white wine - 200 ml;
• Fish broth - 0.5 l;
• Olive oil - 80 ml;
• Onion - 1 pc.;
• Celery - 1 pc.;
• Carrots - 1 pc.;
• Chili pepper - 1 pc.;
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste.

Seafood preparation consists of several stages:

1. Wash the peeled squids running water and cut into rings.
2. Separate shrimp from shells.
3. We wash the mussels under the tap, and soak the oysters overnight in water. We cook the first and second in different pots over high heat for 1-2 minutes until their shells open. We filter the broths into one container, and clean the clams and set aside until use.

When the preparation is completed, we proceed to the main process. Grind carrots, celery, garlic and chili peppers and fry in 40 ml of olive oil. Add squid and pour in 100 ml of white wine. Simmer until soft.

At this time, in another pan, fry the chopped onion in the remaining oil over low heat. When the onion becomes transparent, add rice and mix thoroughly for 3-5 minutes. We introduce 100 ml of white wine. As soon as the wine is absorbed, we begin to gradually add the broth from the shellfish and leave to cook.

We add soft squids with shrimp and finely chopped parsley and cook for another 5 minutes. If necessary, add a couple of ladles of broth.

When the rice is almost ready, combine it with a mixture of squid and shrimp, mussels and oysters. Mix thoroughly, season with salt and pepper and turn off the heat. Leave the dish to "rest" for a few minutes under the lid. To serve, decorate the seafood risotto with fresh parsley.

With Chiken

Today chicken meat is the most demanded product in its category. Therefore, dishes with it are incredibly popular. We present to your attention a simple recipe for risotto with crispy chicken.

For its preparation you will need:

• Round grain rice - 300 g;
• Chicken breasts - 400 g;
• Vegetable broth - 1 l;
• Butter - 30 g;
• Hard cheese - 40 g;
• Olive oil - 60 g;
• Paprika - 10 g;
• Black olives - 40 g;
• Salt to taste.

In a saucepan, fry the rice in olive oil. When the cereal is completely covered with an oily film, season it with a pinch of salt. Pour in the vegetable broth to completely cover the rice. During cooking, add liquid as needed.
While the rice is cooking chicken breast. We cut it into cubes with a side of about 2 cm. Fry in olive oil over high heat for a couple of minutes. We complete the treatment with a six-minute exposure in the oven at 200 degrees.

When the rice is ready, add butter and grated hard cheese to it. Mix thoroughly for about a minute.

To serve, sprinkle the hot risotto with paprika, lay out the chicken pieces and black olives, cut in half. Paprika can be replaced with saffron if desired.

With vegetables

Risotto with vegetables - healthy and nutritious, but also very bright dish. It is simple and quick to prepare. Ideal in summer. Vegetarians will also appreciate it.

Required components:

• Round-grain rice - 320 g;
• Carrots - 100 g;
• Yellow bell pepper(peeled) - 50 g;
• Red bell pepper - 50 g;
• Eggplant - 100 g;
• Zucchini - 100 g;
• Green peas - 50 g;
• Cherry tomatoes - 150 g;
• Celery - 1 pc.;
• Onion - 1 pc.;
• Butter - 20 g;
• Olive oil - 180 ml;
• Vegetable broth - 1 l;
• Chopped parsley - 2 tbsp. spoons;
• Hard cheese (grated) - 4 tbsp. spoons;
• White wine - 40 ml;
• Sugar - 1 tbsp. spoon;
• Salt and black pepper to taste.

All risotto vegetables should be fresh, not frozen. The only exception is peas. This dish you can do with any vegetables in season, focusing on your preferences.

First of all, wash and chop vegetables (except onions). It is necessary that everything be cut into small cubes of the same size (with a side of no more than 1 cm). Cut cherry tomatoes in half and add a tablespoon of sugar. This will help them lose excess acidity.

We pass the chopped half of the onion in a saucepan on a mixture of oils (creamy 10 g and 3 tablespoons of olive oil) over very low heat. So that it does not burn, add a little broth. When the onion becomes transparent (after about 15 minutes), we send chopped zucchini, eggplant, half a carrot, peas and bell pepper to it. Salt, pepper and simmer for 15 minutes. Vegetables should be soft, but not sour.

In another pan, saute the remaining onion, celery and carrots in olive oil for 10 minutes. Then add rice and fry for a couple more minutes. Pour in white wine. When it evaporates, add a ladle of broth and cook, stirring occasionally.

After absorbing the liquid, we send to rice already prepared vegetables, salt and pepper. Pour in the broth again and simmer until fully prepared cereals. Mix everything with cherry tomatoes and turn off the heat.

Top the still hot risotto with butter, grated cheese and parsley. Mix everything thoroughly and serve.

Calorie content and benefits

For example, the nutritional value 100 g classic dish is approximately 350 kcal and consists of:

• Proteins - 14 g;
• Fats - 13 g;
• Carbohydrates - 44 g.

This amount of fat is about 40% of the recommended daily allowance For healthy person. In order to reduce the lipid content, it is necessary to reduce the proportions of fatty components (butter, cheese, cream).

Despite the calorie content, a serving of medium-sized risotto includes many valuable nutrients, especially if the dish is cooked with vegetables or seafood. The latter are distinguished by a large percentage of the necessary proteins and the presence of Omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce inflammation in the body and improve the condition of the cardiovascular system.

1. Weight increase dietary fiber(vegetables) when using less round grain rice.
2. Replacing part of the cereal with wild or brown rice, as well as cheese - fat-free cottage cheese, meat broth- vegetable.
3. Usage fresh vegetables when serving food. An excellent companion for risotto is leaf lettuce.
4. Reducing the amount of food eaten.

If you stick to these simple advice, then the national dish of Italy can become traditional healthy dish on your table.

A small article about the giant of Italian cuisine has come to its logical conclusion. Cook with diligence, dare under any circumstances, do not be afraid to fantasize and remember: "The way to the heart of an Italian man lies through a well-prepared risotto!"

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There are hundreds of risotto recipes, some of them are simple and incredibly complex. But learning how to cook risotto is better on the example of the simplest and most classic recipe.

So we are preparing Milanese risotto.

We need broth, rice, cheese, dry white wine, butter, onion and natural saffron.

Bouillon first

Risotto is ready in 17 minutes. No more and no less, you can check the clock. But this is the case if you have prepared everything else in advance, especially the broth - it takes time, calmness and very high quality ingredients to prepare it.

The idea of ​​the broth underlies the regular cuisine, any French, Italian, or Russian - decent cabbage soup cannot be made without a decent broth.

stock for risotto

The best risotto broth is chicken. It should be cooked in large saucepan and preferably from a special, soup chicken. also need a good drinking water And minimum set vegetables and seasonings - onions and carrots, black peppercorns, a pinch of salt. To this can be added petiole celery, parsley root, green part of leek, fresh green peas in pods, white pepper peas, juniper, a strip of lemon peel. During the preparation of the broth, you can also pour in a little dry white wine. And, of course, a bouquet of garni, composed according to the season. The preparation of the broth takes at least 2 hours, so it makes sense to prepare it for the future and store it in the freezer in bags for freezing ice.

Which chicken to choose
Soup chicken is sold in any decent market. If you decide to fry or stew it, then make sure it is unsuitable finished meat. But the broth from such a bird is what you need. During the cooking time, the soup chicken gives all the best and is no longer suitable for anything. If you want to save money without losing quality, cook the remaining 3-4 chicken remains after cutting off the attractive parts.

Water for risotto is important. Actually, she is the broth. Do not waste time on trifles and buy a canister of good drinking water.

Salt. It must be added very little, the broth must remain generally unsalted, otherwise the dish will be difficult to properly salt. Sea salt is better to take, it is tastier than usual.

Bouquet garni- just sprigs of seasonal spicy greenery tied with cotton thread in a bay leaf. The thread can be tied to the handle of the pan, and at the right time, removed in one motion.

The simplest, "small" bouquet of garni - 3 sprigs of parsley, 3 sprigs of thyme, 1 sprig of celery greens and 1 bay leaf. For seafood risotto, you can add a sprig of dill, and for chicken risotto, 3-4 leaves of tarragon.

Vegetables and roots. Should be clean and not sluggish.

How to cook stock for risotto?

Wash the chicken thoroughly, cut into pieces, put in a saucepan and pour cold water with a pinch of salt. Chicken carcasses can be placed in a very hot oven for 5 minutes, and then folded into a saucepan and poured with water. The resulting broth will have a richer taste and golden color. Lightly crush the peppercorns with the flat of a knife blade. Cut carrots and onions in half and put in a dry frying pan heated over medium heat. Cook until burns appear. Put the pot on high heat. As soon as it boils and foam appears, reduce the heat and carefully remove the foam with a slotted spoon. When foaming stops, add vegetables and spices to the pan. Cover and cook with light gurgling for about 2 hours. 30 min. until ready to pour in dry wine, if using, lower the bouquet garni into the broth in the last three minutes. Remove when broth is ready. Ready broth strain through a sieve, pour into a clean saucepan and set aside. Put in the cold for 1 hour, carefully remove the frozen fat.

Rice for risotto

Rice for risotto not everyone is suitable, but only three varieties: arborio, carnaroli and vialone nano. In addition to the fact that the varieties are Italian, they have one more thing in common - they contain two types of starch. The one on the surface of the rice grain is called "amylopectin" and the one inside is called "amylose". Amylopectin is mild and mixes quickly with water to create a creamy and fluid texture. Amylose allows you to cook rice to the state of "al dente", which literally means "by the tooth" - this is when a perfectly cooked rice grain remains a little firm in the very center. God forbid you wash such rice!!!

When buying rice for risotto, pay attention to the packaging and the number of cracked and split grains. Reputable manufacturers often even pack under vacuum in a double layer of polyethylene; the result is a kind of brick, resistant to most blows of fate. Italians sometimes label rice simply as "rice for risotto", without specifying the variety - with a 90% chance there will be arborio inside the pack. In addition to these, there are many varieties of rice in the world suitable for making risotto.

Cheese for risotto

Cheese for risotto you need a little, but it should be good.

The main requirement is that the cheese must belong to a small family of grana cheeses. There are only three such cheeses: Parmigiano Reggiano, also called Parmesan, Grana Padano and the very rare Trentingrana. But experiments are also possible. At the same time, it is important to remember that risotto is primarily a rice dish, and cheese should only accompany its taste, and not conduct it. Italians in risotto with seafood or fish, as a rule, do not use cheese.

Wine for risotto

To prepare a large risotto pan, you need about half a glass of dry white wine. There are, in fact, two requirements for it - it must be dry and inexpensive.

Butter for risotto

Good creamy oil for risotto no less important than cheese. Because that is what makes creamy consistency risotto from a figure of speech into reality. Risotto is a dish of the Italian North, where there have never been olive trees. Only cows.

Onions for risotto

Use white or yellow onions for risotto. Don't be too frugal - the base of the onion must be cut ruthlessly, so that only the juicy onion flesh gets into the risotto. It should be cut very, very, very finely, because there is nothing worse than ridiculous big piece onions, in the delicate texture of this dish.

Saffron for risotto

One of the most expensive spices in the world, 1 gram costs more than 10 dollars. You should buy saffron, packed in a factory way, preferably not ground. The idea of ​​going to the nearest market and buying half a glass of saffron is a bad idea, believe me. One gram is enough for 40 servings of risotto. Take a couple of pinches of saffron, put it in a glass and pour hot broth over it. Leave on for half an hour. The resulting orange infusion is exactly what you need.

How to cook risotto

First, put a pot of broth on a gentle fire so that it boils slightly.

The first stage - preparing the soffritto - bases for rice and everything else. You heat oil in a frying pan, add onion - as well as other vegetables used - and fry the whole thing over medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent, but by no means fried. Remember, it should lose color, not change it.

The second stage is called "tostatura". You pour the rice into the pan in one quick swirl, stir it in with the onion and oil, and cook for about 30 seconds. Ideally, all the rice should be soaked in oil so that the outside of the rice darkens, but the core remains white. When this happens, pour in the wine, stir, and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the smell of alcohol is gone - or until all the liquid has been absorbed.

The third stage - adding the broth to the risotto. Once the rice has absorbed the wine, start adding the hot broth. Take a ladle, scoop up the broth and pour it in a quick circular motion into the pan with the rice. Take a large, preferably wooden spoon or spatula and mix the broth with the rice with it. Repeat mixing after thirty seconds. Repeat in the same vein until almost all the liquid is absorbed into the rice. Pour in a ladle of broth again and start stirring again. As a result of this constant stirring of rice with boiling broth, the outer starch is separated from the rice grains.

When the rice is about half done, and about half of the broth is also left, add the main, title ingredient to the risotto. In the case of Milanese risotto - just the same glass of broth with saffron. Then continue adding broth and stirring. In other recipes, it can be mushrooms, seafood, and more. After 17 minutes of stirring and adding, remove the pan from the heat and leave it perfectly still for exactly 1 minute. After this, it will be time for the last stage, called "mantecature" when cold and diced butter is added to the risotto and grated on fine grater cheese, and the entire resulting mass is quickly kneaded until completely homogeneous. Then the risotto is laid out on warm plates and instantly served to the table.

Unanswered questions

Two questions remain unanswered: What is the correct ratio of rice to broth? When should risotto be seasoned?

Here are the answers to them.

The perfect ratio of rice and broth- for every 100 grams of rice, you need to take 500 ml of broth. It should also be borne in mind that it is best to prepare risotto with 400 grams of rice and 2 liters of broth, which makes 4 large portions or 6 small ones; this amount is just enough for a large frying pan. Almost impossible to make 1 serving of risotto (you'll have to chase the rice around the pan, which will burn every minute) and very difficult - 10 servings at a time (in this case, cooking will be more like rowing). If you need to cook more than 4 servings of risotto, just take another pan.

Season the risotto with salt and pepper first of all, you need to be very careful, since the cheese used in cooking already contains a significant amount of salt, which, in principle, may be quite enough - for example, if the cheese is very aged. However, once the mantecature of the risotto is complete, it is a must try - if it seems to you that you need to add salt and pepper, add them, quickly mix again and serve the risotto to the table.

There is no classic risotto recipe. The constant components of this dish are rice and broth. But the rest of the ingredients may vary.

However, there are several general rules risotto preparations to follow.

10 secrets of the perfect risotto

1. For risotto, you need to choose round, starchy varieties of rice. The best varieties are Arborio, Carnaroli, Baldo and Vialone Nano. Sometimes manufacturers specifically indicate on rice packages that it is suitable for risotto.
2. At the beginning of cooking, onions are almost always fried. It should soften, but not brown.
3. Add rice to the onion and fry it for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. The grains should be saturated with oil and become translucent.
4. Almost always dry white wine is added to risotto. It gives the dish a special flavor. But if you don't want to use alcohol, just replace it with broth.
5. For any risotto, vegetable broth is also suitable. Sometimes mushroom, fish or beef will be appropriate. In extreme cases, the broth can be replaced with water with bouillon cubes dissolved in it.
6. The broth must be hot, but not boiling.
7. The liquid must be added in parts - about one ladle at a time. The next portion is poured in after the previous one has evaporated. In this case, you need to stir the rice often and cook over low heat.
8. It takes about 20-25 minutes to cook rice. The rice grains should remain slightly firm, but the risotto itself should be creamy. If it gets dry, add more broth.
9. The broth and parmesan, which is almost always added to risotto, are quite salty. So salt ready meal need to be careful.
10. After cooking, cover the risotto with a lid and leave for 3-5 minutes. Serve hot.

Ingredients:

• 1 liter chicken broth;
• 1 teaspoon of saffron;
• 1 onion;
• 200 g of rice;
• 100 ml dry white wine;
• 50 g parmesan;
• salt is optional.

Cooking

Heat up the broth and add the saffron to it. Heat olive oil and a tablespoon of butter in a saucepan. Saute finely chopped onion until soft.

Add rice to the onion and fry for a couple of minutes. Pour in the wine and, stirring, wait until it is absorbed into the rice. Gradually pour in the saffron stock.

Add the remaining butter and grated cheese and mix the risotto well. Salt if necessary.

Ingredients:

• 300 g mushrooms (champignons or porcini);
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil;
• 2 tablespoons of butter;
• 1 onion;
• 200 g of rice;
• 50 ml dry white wine;
• 1 liter chicken, mushroom or vegetable broth;
• 1 clove of garlic;
• several sprigs of parsley;
• 50 g parmesan;
• salt is optional.

Cooking

Cut the mushrooms into thin slices and place in a pan with heated olive oil. Saute until mushrooms are browned.

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add finely chopped onion and sauté until soft. Add rice and cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes.

Pour wine into saucepan. When it is absorbed into the rice, gradually pour in the hot broth. Then add minced garlic, sautéed mushrooms, chopped parsley, grated parmesan and salt and mix well.

howsweeteats.com

Ingredients:

• 450 g chicken thighs without skin and bones;
• salt - to taste;
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil;
• 1 onion;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• 300 g of rice;
• 200 ml dry white wine;
• 1 liter chicken broth;
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest;
• 30 g parmesan;
• a few sprigs of basil;
• a few sprigs of parsley.

Cooking

Rub the chicken with salt and pepper. You can use other seasonings according to your taste. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and fry for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown. Cool and cut in small pieces.

Melt the butter in a saucepan and fry the finely chopped onion until soft. Add minced garlic and fry for another minute. Add rice to vegetables and lightly fry.

Gradually pour wine and hot broth into the rice. Then add lemon peel, grated parmesan, chicken, some chopped greens and salt (if necessary). Sprinkle the risotto with the remaining herbs before serving.

delish.com

Ingredients:

• 1 onion;
• 4 cloves of garlic;
• 200 g of rice;
• 950 ml chicken broth;
• 350 ml dry white wine;
• 2 lemons;
• several sprigs of parsley;
• 1 teaspoon ground red pepper;
• 450 g of peeled shrimp;
• salt - to taste;
• 100 g parmesan.

Cooking

Melt one tablespoon of butter in a saucepan. Cut the onion into small cubes and fry in oil until soft. Add one minced garlic clove and cook for a couple more minutes.

Add rice to vegetables and stir-fry for a few minutes. Pour the hot broth and 250 ml of wine into the saucepan in parts.

Melt the remaining butter in another pan. Add three minced garlic cloves, the juice of two lemons, a piece of chopped parsley and red pepper and cook, stirring, for two minutes.

Put the shrimp in the pan, season with salt and fry them over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Pour in the remaining wine and bring to a boil.

Add the shrimp along with the sauce and grated parmesan to the rice and mix well. Salt if necessary. Sprinkle the risotto with chopped parsley before serving.

bbcgoodfood.com

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon of butter;
• 1 onion;
• 250 g of rice;
• 100 ml dry white wine;
• 1 liter vegetable or fish broth;
• 250 g smoked mackerel;
• a few green onion feathers;
• 100 g spinach;
• salt is optional.

Cooking

Melt the butter in a saucepan and fry the chopped onion in it. Add rice and fry for a couple of minutes.

Gradually add wine and hot broth to the rice. Then add the fish, cut into small pieces, chopped green onion and spinach and stir.

Cook a little more until the spinach softens. Add salt to the risotto if needed.

jamieoliver.com

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of butter;
• 1 onion;
• 100 g bacon;
• 1 bunch of fresh thyme;
• 400 g of rice;
• 150 ml dry white wine;
• 1 liter chicken or vegetable broth;
• 200 g frozen peas;
• salt - optional;
• ground black pepper - to taste;
• 100 g goat cheese;
• 75 g parmesan.

Cooking

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Put finely chopped onions, small pieces of bacon and thyme in it and cook for several minutes until the onions soften. Add rice and fry lightly.

Gradually pour the wine and almost all of the hot broth into the rice. Add peas, remaining broth, salt and pepper. Remove the saucepan from the heat, add half the goat cheese and parmesan and stir to combine. Sprinkle the risotto with the remaining cheese before serving.

nytimes.com

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant;
• 800 g of tomatoes;
• salt - to taste;
• a few sprigs of fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 onion;
• 1 clove of garlic;
• 250 g of rice;
• 100 ml dry white wine;
• 1½ liters vegetable or chicken broth;
• ground black pepper - to taste;
• 30 g parmesan.

Cooking

Line a baking sheet with foil and brush with a tablespoon of oil. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise, make a few cuts at the cut points and place the vegetables on a baking sheet. Bake at 230°C for about 20 minutes.

Cut the tomatoes and cooled eggplant into small cubes. Heat a spoonful of oil in a frying pan, put vegetables there and add salt and thyme. Cook, stirring, for 10-15 minutes until the tomatoes are soft.

Heat the remaining oil in a saucepan and fry the finely chopped onion. Add minced garlic and cook for a couple more minutes. Then put rice in a saucepan and lightly fry.

Pour wine over rice. When it evaporates, add vegetable mix and stir. Gradually pour in the hot broth. Add pepper, grated parmesan, salt if necessary and mix.

jamieoliver.com

Ingredients:

• 1 onion;
• 1 clove of garlic;
• 2 celery stalks;
• 1 tablespoon of butter;
• 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil;
• 2 small zucchini;
• 800 ml vegetable broth;
• 1 bunch of basil;
• 300 g of rice;
• 200 ml dry white wine;
• 250 g mozzarella;
• 40 g parmesan;
• salt - optional;
• ground black pepper - to taste;
• 1 red chili.

Cooking

Cut the onion, garlic and celery into small cubes. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add olive oil, chopped vegetables and some water. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes until the vegetables soften.

Cut the zucchini lengthwise into four parts and cut each of them into small pieces. Heat the vegetable broth, add the basil stalks to it, boil for a few minutes and remove the stalks. They are only for flavor.

Put rice in a saucepan, mix and fry for about a minute. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until the rice absorbs it. Gradually pour in ⅔ of the broth, then add the zucchini and gradually add the remaining broth.

Remove the risotto from the heat. Add half the finely chopped basil leaves, mozzarella pieces, half the grated Parmesan, salt and pepper. Stir and leave covered for a couple of minutes.

Remove seeds from chili and chop small pieces. Sprinkle the risotto with the chili, remaining basil leaves and grated cheese before serving.

bbcgoodfood.com

Ingredients:

• 1 kg pumpkin pulp;
• 1 bunch of fresh sage;
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil;
• 3 tablespoons of butter;
• 1 onion;
• 300 g of rice;
• 100 ml dry white wine;
• 1½ l vegetable broth;
• 50 g parmesan;
• salt is optional.

Cooking

Cut pumpkin into small cubes. Chop up half of the sage leaves. Place the pumpkin and chopped sage on a baking sheet, drizzle with a tablespoon of oil and toss to combine. Bake at 220°C for 30 minutes until pumpkin is tender.

Meanwhile, melt half the butter in a saucepan. Saute finely chopped onion until soft. Add rice and stir-fry for a few minutes. Gradually add wine and hot broth to the rice.

In another pan, heat the remaining olive oil, add the sage leaves and fry until slightly crispy. Transfer the sage to paper towel to drain excess fat.

Puree half of the baked pumpkin. Add to rice pumpkin puree, the remaining butter and grated parmesan and mix thoroughly. Salt if necessary. Garnish the risotto with pumpkin slices and sage leaves before serving.

webspoon.ru

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon of butter;
• 1 onion;
• 120 g of rice;
• 100 ml dry white wine;
• 500 ml vegetable broth;
• 300 g pears;
• 60 g blue cheese;
• 20 g parmesan;
• salt is optional.

Cooking

Melt the butter in a saucepan and fry the finely chopped onion. Add rice and fry for a few more minutes.

Gradually pour in the wine and most of the hot broth. Remove skins and seeds from pears and cut into small pieces. Add the pears and the remaining stock to the rice and cook until the fruit softens.

Add blue cheese chunks and grated Parmesan and mix thoroughly. Salt the risotto if necessary.

The frozen sea cocktail must be removed from the package in advance, put in a colander placed over the pan and allowed to defrost and drain the liquid.

Peel the onion and garlic and chop very finely.

Heat the butter in a frying pan and add the onion. Simmer until translucent over low heat for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and simmer for 1 more minute.

Pour rice for risotto into the pan, NOT rinsing, mix it well with vegetables so that it absorbs oil and garlic-onion flavor.

Pour half of the broth into the pan, mix gently, reduce the heat to a minimum, cover with a lid and leave. After 5 minutes, check - if the broth is absorbed, add more, mix and close again and leave. After another 3-4 minutes, repeat the procedure, adding wine along with the broth, mix again and leave again for 3-4 minutes.

Depending on the variety of rice, you may end up with some unused broth. Or it may not be enough, in which case you can add a little water. The main thing is that by the time the rice has been cooked in the pan for a total of 15 minutes, it has absorbed all the liquid so that there is no excess liquid left. That is why the liquid is recommended to be added in stages.

The broth must have at least room temperature, it is better if it is hot. So when using frozen broth from stocks, it must be thawed and heated in advance. If you take a cold broth, when added to the pan, it will sharply lower the temperature of the cooked dish and it may take much longer for the rice to reach readiness.

Squeeze the sea cocktail well. excess water risotto is completely unnecessary.

Put seafood in a frying pan with rice, mix, cover with a lid and leave for 5 minutes over low heat.

Seafood for sea cocktails, as a rule, is already boiled and frozen. Anything but squid. Therefore, 5 minutes will be enough for the main part of the cocktail to warm up, and the squids to cook, but not have time to become rubber.

At the time of buying sea ​​cocktail try to get vacuum-packed, it contains much less ice and after defrosting, the weight of the seafood itself will be greater.

If you are using fresh seafood for classic risotto, then they must be added to the rice in stages so that by the end of cooking (and this is 20 minutes from the moment the rice is poured), all seafood has reached readiness.