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Risotto

I’ve always regarded risotto as ‘wet rice’ and I tend to make sure I have a little extra stock on hand. The finished risotto should be ‘wet’ enough to not heap on the plate when serving but certainly not of soup consistency.
Print Recipe
Servings: 6 entree serves
Course: Main Course
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ½ - 3 cups vegetable stock
  • 50 ml olive oil
  • 1 medium sized onion peeled, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup risotto rice
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 80 g parmesan cheese grated
  • 30 g butter in pieces
  • salt
  • ground white pepper
  • extra parmesan for serving

Equipment

  • Two unlidded saucepans are required for this recipe.

Method
 

  1. Assemble your ingredients
  2. In one saucepan heat your stock over low heat
  3. Meanwhile in your other saucepan add the olive oil and gently sweat the onion and garlic for about 5 - 6 minutes
  4. Add the rice to the onion mix. Continue cooking/stirring for about 4 minutes. Do not scorch the rice
  5. Add the white wine. The rice cooking time starts now – 15- 18 minutes until ready
  6. Adjust heat and continue stirring and let the wine be absorbed
  7. Stir in about 200ml of the hot stock. Adjust heat to low to maintain a slow simmer
  8. As the rice thickens add another 200ml stock. Remember to stir
  9. Repeat
  10. The rice should be close to ready. You will note a tiny white spot in the centre of each grain – almost there
  11. Add a little more stock. You should have about 80ml stock leftover
  12. The white spot should have disappeared
  13. Check the ‘bite’ of the rice – there should be texture a little softer than ‘Al dente’
  14. Take off heat and stir in the cheese
  15. Stir in the butter
  16. Check seasoning
  17. Ready
  18. Serve grated parmesan cheese separately

Notes

Ground white pepper (instead of black pepper) maintains the clean appearance of the risotto
Parmesan cheese can be salty. Make sure you check the seasoning after you add the cheese
This is an excellent dish to enjoy a glass of wine while you are stirring
I finished this recipe with some ingredients I had on hand.
Variations:
Multiple variations of this recipe include changing the stock flavour and adding other ingredients such as chicken or seafood and other vegetables during the cooking process.
The incorporation of ingredients can naturally alter the amount of liquid you would add. As an example, adding diced pumpkin when you start adding the stock should mean you need a little less stock. Alternatively, you could roast the pumpkin and fold the pumpkin in towards the end. The upside would be a better flavour profile. I used the following recipe as a topping, but you could incorporate the ingredients into the base recipe. Chicken stock instead of vegetable stock would be a good alternative.