The Perfect Whatever Risotto Recipe

The key to its success is to use a quality rice, and with ‘Riso Gallo’ you cannot go wrong. (affiliate link)

They are one of the oldest Italian rice producers and the largest producer in Europe.

They have been operating since 1856, and their rice is available in most European supermarkets.

However, if you are planning to make a “Signature Risotto” you need to use Carnaroli Grand Riserva, produced to very high standards it can assure a perfect result each time.

Because risotto requires a lot of stirring I would recommend using a wooden spoon with a comfortable handle, and here is my Amazon affiliate link:

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It is also very important to use homemade stock.

This is why I always have my homemade stock reserve in the freezer!

If you missed the post about stock, you can find it here.

For 500 gr of rice you will use approximately 1.5 litres of stock.

Once you have the right ingredients and tools at hand (a wooden spoon and a large pan) you are ready to start cooking this risotto recipe:

Stir-fry

Stir fry the onion with butter at a very low heat, the onion should not burn.

Once the onion becomes translucent, add the rice and increase the heat.

The rice has to toast in the butter so that the grains are sealed.

Once the rice is toasted add 1 cup of white wine and let it evaporate.

Some people use expensive wine (+15€ ).

I don’t, sorry Risotto. I’d rather drink it myself!!

Once the wine has evaporated, lower the heat but not too much.

Add the first ladle of warm stock and start counting the cooking time.

The stock in the rice should be boiling all the time.

The Stock

The stock should be kept warm at low heat in a pan next to the rice.

If you are making the classic Risotto alla Milanese, the saffron should be already mixed in the beef stock.

Some people prefer to use chicken stock to keep the yellow colour intact.

I like the visual aspect of food but if I have to compromise taste for look, I prioritize the taste.

So to make my Risotto alla Milanese I use brown beef stock exclusively made with bone marrow.

If you are making Risotto ai Funghi Porcini (Cepe in French) with fresh Porcini mushroom, I would recommend using dry Porcini as well.

The water where you soak the dry mushrooms is full of flavour, and you can add it to the stock you use to cook the rice. The rice will absorb the flavour of the porcini while cooking, enhancing its earthy taste.

Dice the fresh Porcini mushrooms and stir fry them separately with garlic.

Add them at the end, once the rice is cooked.

This way the fresh mushrooms will not mash but remain whole, adding a nice chewy porcini texture to each bite.

If it is not the Porcini season you can use the frozen Porcini instead of the fresh one, not too bad!!

Cooking the rice

The rice should be continually stirred and stock added regularly but only 1 or 2 ladles at a time. If immersed in the stock the rice will have a boiled taste.

Add the stock only when “the rice asks for it”, and always in small quantities.

The rice must be continually stirred so that the grains do not stick together. It is the friction of the stirring that creates that typical creamy consistency of the risotto.

Adding the ingredients

Whatever risotto you are making is up to you or the recipe you are following as to when you need to add the additional ingredients.
Vegetables, fish or meat, should already have been cooked separately, and added towards the end of the cooking process.

Cooking timing

Each rice has a cooking time written on the package, usually around 15 to 20 minutes.
But you should not follow it to the minute, use only as a reference.

It is only by tasting it that you can perfectly time when the Risotto is cooked and ready to eat.

Mantecato

Once the rice is cooked, it has to be “mantecato” which means you have to add fat. It originated from the Spanish word Manteca, butter.

This makes the rice creamier and shiny.

Normally butter and parmesan are added, but depending on the recipe sometime it is olive oil, or yogurt.

The rice should be stirred well and covered for a minutes for the fat to be absorbed.

Once rested, the Risotto is ready to be served!

Now that you know the basic rules to make the perfect Italian risotto, get your imagination going and make your own risotto recipe. Please, tell me your ideas in the comments below, I would be delighted to hear.