Risotto is a classic Italian cooking method that is great to know by heart. Risotto can be a light primi, or first course dish, or it can be a hearty, main meal. The ingredients can range from onions and lemons, to tomato, meat and vegetables. These days, anything goes!
As risotto is part of my Pantry Meals Series, I wanted to use only pantry friendly items that most people have in their cupboards: Arborio Rice (I always have this in my pantry for impromptu dinner parties), good quality stock (more on stocks below, vegetable stock can be used for vegetarians), parmesan cheese (pecorino or asiago can be used in a pinch) and onions.
This recipe calls for caramelized onions, where the deep, rich onion colours add oodles of flavour. This is not the traditional method of cooking risottos with a light, neutral colour. Aka, this might not be a traditional risotto, but it is 'a loaded with flavour.
While risotto looks like an easy cooking method to execute, it takes a bit of practice to master the technique. Lucky for you though, I have included some key tips below that will help you master the process right away!
Here are Five Key Tips To Cooking The Perfect Risotto to help you achieve the creamiest, dinner ever!
1. Arborio or Carnaroli Rice - Believe it or not, all rices are not the same. There are short grain, long grain, sushi grade rice, etc. All serve a different purpose and are best cooked via different methods. Risotto, due to the method of cooking, large volumes of slowly added liquid, requires a rice that is short, fat, high in starch and absorbs less of the liquid. It's grain is more oval than elliptical and tends to have more of a shiny white exterior. Arborio rice is named after the region in Italy where it was first grown. Here in Vancouver, Arborio rice is most prevalent. My favourite is in the image above, purchased from The Gourmet Warehouse (here).
2. Mise en place - One of the first things I learned at my short cooking school stint was the importance of having your prep work done before you start cooking. Mise en place literally means, "everything in it's place". For risotto, having everything ready before you start is especially true. Being thoughtful and prepared leads to a much more focussed cooking experience and beautifully fluffy risotto.
3. Vessel - When cooking risotto, you want to use a dish that is wide enough for the rice to evenly distribute, but still small enough to fit over one burner to ensure even heat. The rice should have enough room to be agitated when you stir. I like to use my Caribbean Le Creuset Braiser (see image above and here) for risotto as it's both shallow and wide, and it fits tight over the burner.
4. Stock - One of the main keys to a great risotto is flavourful stock. There are only a few ingredients in risotto, so you need to make them count. I usually use a home made chicken stock in my risotto, as it provides fabulous flavour, while still keeping the dish a light, neutral colour. As this dish is a Pantry Meals Series dish, use whatever stock you have on hand. I happened to have 4 cups of leftover beef stock in the fridge, so I combined that with 2 cups of water. If you are a vegetarian, use veggie stock. Right now, use what you've got!
When making risotto, it is essential that the stock be hot. Prior to cooking the risotto, I place my stock (or stock and water, in this case) into a sauce pan and bring it to a high simmer. This step is important as hot stock retains the starch in the Arborio grain - the starch is your creamy thickener. As well, the addition of hot stock maintains a consistent pan temperature. Adding cold stock dips the pan temperature down and then it has to increase back up with every stock addition. This results in gummy or clumpy rice, with the risk of a soupy risotto as the liquid does not absorb as effectively.
Ideally, you want the hot stock to be absorbed and the rice to be cooked within 20 minutes. The professional chef's official time is 17.5 minutes!
There are various methods to cooking risotto, including adding all the stock at once and boiling it down. That did not work for me. I find that adding the hot stock one ladle at a time results in a creamy, perfect el dente risotto.
5. Grated Parmesan - Don't add the grated cheese too soon. If the stock is still being absorbed, or your rice is still not cooked, it's too early for the cheese; your end dish will end up stringy and mush. You can't rush a risotto! Wait until the risotto has a creamy texture (there should be a little bit of thickened liquid), and the rice is cooked el dente, then remove the entire risotto dish from the heat and gently stir in the grated cheese and butter.
This is one Italian dish to master. Risotto is a great recipe to have in your back pocket for impromptu company or to perk someone up during self-isolation - even if that is yourself!
Happy Cooking Everyone!
Stay safe,
Krista
Caramelized Onion Risotto
makes 4 servings
Ingredients
For The Caramelized Onions
5 medium onions, peeled and sliced into thin half moons
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
salt and pepper
For The Risotto
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups Arborio rice
salt and pepper
1 cup white wine, something you like to drink
6 cups stock, (I had 4 cups of quality beef broth + 2 cups of water)
1 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese, finely grated (on a rasper)
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
For The Garnish
1/3 cup reserved caramelized onions (recipe above)
1/4 cup crispy bacon pieces (optional, I had 3 slices leftover in the fridge that I crumbled)*
2 teaspoons flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
a few shavings parmigiano-reggiano cheese
Method
For The Caramelized Onions
In a medium-sized saute pan, over medium-low heat, warm the olive oil and melt the butter. Add the onion slices evenly over the surface of the pan and do not touch for 5-7 minutes, then stir. Over time, on medium-low, the onions will release their liquid and brown, forming a rich, caramel flavour. Continue to stir every so often for the next 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper when onions have released all of their liquids. Image below (left to right, top to bottom), onions shown at 1 minute, 7 minutes, 20 minutes and 35 minutes. Allow onions to cool and set aside until ready to use, reserving 1/3rd for garnish.
For The Risotto
In a small sauce pan, heat stock until it reaches a high simmer. Keep stock warm, stirring occasionally as needed.
In a shallow, wide braiser pan over medium heat, melt butter.
Add Arborio rice and mix to coat each grain in the butter. Toast rice for 5 minutes, stirring often. You want the grains to smell nutty and become opaque, you do not want the grains to burn.
Stir in salt and pepper, then add the wine. Allow wine to de-glaze and become absorbed by the rice. Then, one ladle at a time, begin adding simmering hot stock. It is important to let each ladle of stock absorb before adding the next. Stir gently, as needed to agitate the rice.
Continue adding stock until risotto becomes creamy and the rice is el dente, slightly chewy. This should take around 20 minutes.
Remove braiser pan from heat and stir in grated cheese, 2/3rds of the caramelized onion mixture and then the butter. Season with salt and pepper if necessary.
Garnish with bacon, parsley, remaining caramelized onions and cheese shavings.
Serve immediately!
Recipe Notes:
*In case you are curious, a traditional risotto (without the caramelized onions) starts with 1 diced onion cooked with the oil and butter until it's translucent (over low heat) before adding the Arborio rice - no coloration is wanted on either the onion or the rice.
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