In Italy, every housewife knows more than one recipe for tasty risotto, but for many of our compatriots, cooking this dish is not an easy task. If you do not know how to cook the risotto correctly, you should not expect that you will get it perfect. In case of violation of technology, risotto will not be too tasty even for experienced chefs. At the same time, knowing all the rules and observing them, any hostess will be able to feed their loved ones and guests with a delicious rice dish according to classic Italian recipes.
Cooking Features
The history of the main dish of Italian cuisine from rice dates back to the Middle Ages. Not surprisingly, the technology of cooking risotto is unique. Before embarking on the culinary process, it is simply necessary to study it at least in theory, otherwise it is almost impossible to avoid mistakes.
- The main component of risotto is fig. Traditionally, its varieties such as arborio, carnaroli, vialone nano are used. Their feature is the presence of two types of starch. If you cannot buy such rice, you can use regular round grain rice that contains quite a lot of starch. Other rice varieties are not suitable for risotto. Experienced chefs do not recommend washing rice before cooking risotto, since in this case a portion of starch will be washed off the surface of rice grains, without which the dish will not acquire the desired consistency.
- Cooking broth should also be approached carefully. Indeed, during the heat treatment rice absorbs it, so the taste and aroma of the finished dish will largely depend on the taste and aroma of the broth. That is why it is better to cook broth from chicken or meat in your kitchen than to buy bouillon cubes and dilute them with water. If the broth turns out too much, you can freeze it and use it next time.
- To prepare risotto, take butter or its mixture with olive oil. In extreme cases, it is allowed to use only olive oil, but not another vegetable oil.
- Onions for cooking risotto should be cut into as small as possible, since large pieces, falling into a gentle risotto, can ruin its taste.
- A deep cast iron pan is best for making risotto. If it is not, you can use a frying pan made of another material, so long as it has a thick bottom, or a cauldron.
- Wine and broth are added in small portions. The next portion of the pan can be poured only when rice has completely absorbed the previous one.
- Prepare risotto on low heat. Even the onions, which are fried first, should be soft and transparent, and not golden. If the onions are browned, consider the risotto spoiled.
- Cheese is often added to risotto. In traditional recipes, this is Parmesan or a similar kind of hard cheese. So actually any hard cheese will do. It should be rubbed very finely.
There are several recipes for risotto that have the full right to be called classic. There is nothing paradoxical about this, because risotto is cooked in different parts of Italy, from different ingredients.
Classic risotto recipe
Composition:
- rice - 0, 3 kg;
- chicken breasts - 0, 9 kg;
- water - 2 l;
- carrots - 150 g;
- onions - 0, 3 kg;
- dry white wine - 150 ml;
- parsley - 3 sprigs;
- green basil - 3 sprigs;
- celery greens - 1 sprig;
- bay leaf - 1 pc .;
- olive oil - 60 ml;
- cream - 80 ml;
- lemon juice - 10 ml;
- Parmesan cheese or similar - 100 g;
- salt, a mixture of peppers - to taste.
Method of preparation:
- Rinse the chicken breasts, put in a saucepan and cover with water. Put on the fire and bring to a boil. Remove the foam, reduce the heat.
- Peel the carrots and one large onion. Cut them into cubes of medium size (approximately 0, 5 cm).
- Lubricate the pan with oil, heat and lightly fry the vegetables on it, put them in the broth.
- Spicy herbs tie or place in a gauze bag. Dip them in broth an hour after boiling.
- Add salt and pepper to broth to taste. Cook for another half hour.
- Take out the chicken breasts, set aside - for the risotto that is prepared according to this recipe, they will not be needed, only broth is needed. It is necessary to filter and measure one and a half liters.
- Peel the remaining onion, cut it as small as possible.
- Heat the remaining oil in the pan (about 50 ml), put the onion in it. Cook it over low heat until it is transparent.
- Add the rice, immediately start stirring it. Stir fry rice for a few minutes until it changes its color.
- Pour in the wine, cook the rice in it, stirring continuously, until it absorbs almost all the wine.
- Add a glass of broth mixed with lemon juice, stir the rice until the broth is absorbed. Continue to pour broth one by one ladle or glass, each time waiting for it to soak until the whole broth is over. Remove from heat.
- Finely rub the cheese.
- Without waiting for the risotto to cool down, pour the cream into the rice, sprinkle with cheese, immediately stir well.
Serve risotto should be hot. It does not require a sauce or any other additions - this is a complete dish. However, if you wish, you can use it as a side dish.
Classic Milanese Risotto (with saffron)
Composition:
- rice - 0, 2 kg;
- chicken broth - 1 l;
- dry white wine - 150 ml;
- butter - 100 g;
- hard cheese - 50 g;
- onions - 100 g;
- saffron - at the tip of the knife.
Method of preparation:
- Finely chop the peeled onion.
- Melt half the oil indicated in the recipe in a frying pan, simmer onion over low heat in it until soft.
- Add the rice and fry it until the cream shade appears, stirring constantly.
- Pour the wine into the pan with the rice and boil the rice in the wine, stirring until the smell of alcohol disappears.
- In small portions, pour in the broth and stir each time until the broth is absorbed, bring the rice to readiness. When the broth is over, the rice will be ready.
- In the last batch of broth, before pouring it into the pan, stir the saffron.
- Finely grate the cheese, cut the remaining butter in small pieces, put them into rice and stir it immediately.
According to this recipe, the legendary yellow risotto is prepared - the unique color of rice is attached to saffron.
Classic recipe for risotto with vegetables
Composition:
- rice - 0, 2 kg;
- water - 1 l;
- carrots - 100 g;
- onions - 75 g;
- zucchini - 0, 2 kg;
- olive oil - 20 ml;
- butter - 30 g;
- tomato - 100 g;
- cabbage - 100 g;
- potatoes - 100 g;
- salt, pepper, seasonings - to taste.
Method of preparation:
- Peel the potatoes, cut into cubes.
- Chop the cabbage.
- Peel the onion and cut it into 4 pieces.
- Put cabbage, potatoes and onions in a saucepan, cover with water, bring to a boil.
- Salt, add pepper and cook for 20 minutes. Strain. Vegetables can be thrown away - they were needed for cooking vegetable broth.
- Zucchini cut into small cubes, about 1 cm.
- Peel the carrot and cut it into cubes, the size of which should be about 2 times smaller than that of zucchini.
- Blow water over the tomato and peel it. Cut into small cubes.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a pan, put the carrots. Fry it for 2-3 minutes and add zucchini.
- After 5 minutes, put tomatoes in zucchini and fry them with other vegetables for 5 minutes.
- Pour the rice into the pan, mix thoroughly.
- Start injecting approximately 150 ml of broth in portions, stirring the contents of the pan thoroughly. The next portion of broth can be entered only after the rice absorbs the previous one.
- After the broth is finished, put the butter in the risotto and mix it well right away to melt it. Butter will give the dish a delicate creamy taste, typical of the classic risotto.
The recipe for risotto with vegetables will appeal to vegetarians, although some of them will want to replace butter with olive oil. This can be done, but the dish will not have a delicate creamy taste after the meal, although it will still be very tasty.
Classic seafood risotto
Composition:
- rice - 100 g;
- squid - 100 g;
- peeled mussels - 100 g;
- sea cockerels - 100 g;
- peeled shrimps - 100 g;
- fish broth - 0, 5 l;
- tomato paste - 10 ml;
- dry white wine - 50 ml;
- salt, pepper - to taste.
Method of preparation:
- Wash the squid, put it in boiling water for half a minute, wash it again and cut it into strips.
- Cut sea cockerels.
- Heat the oil in a pan and fry the seafood in it (shrimps, mussels, calamari and cockerel) for 5 minutes, stirring them with a wooden spatula.
- Add the rice, fry the seafood along with it, constantly stirring the contents of the pan, 5 minutes.
- Pour in the wine and wait for it to soak into the rice.
- Gradually, about 100 ml, pour in the broth, each time mixing well and waiting until the broth is absorbed.
- When the broth remains about 100 ml, mix it with tomato paste. Pour into the dish, stir and cook for another couple of minutes.
Risotto with seafood will surely appeal to fans of Mediterranean cuisine. This dish is not ashamed to submit, even for the holiday table.
Risotto cooking technology can not be called simple. It is not necessary to move away from the stove when cooking this dish. However, it is prepared quickly enough. In addition, if you strictly follow the recommendations of the recipe, you will certainly get a tasty and completely unique dish to your table.
