Risotto-Technique

"Chris Lloyd" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:jrAxc.678707$Pk3.291714@pd7tw1no:

Quoted message said:

I would like to know what the proper risotto technique is,
and what is the best rice for making risotto? I was also
wondering (more than the last two) what variables we can
add to make the risotto more flavourfull, such as a herb
n' garlic risotto ext..

If any of you great chef's in the newsgroup could help me
out I'd be greatly appreciated.

-Chris Lloyd

Chris -

Proper risotto "technique"? Put the rice in a hot pan with
olive oil, stir until rice gets a slightly "nutty" smell.
Turn the heat down, add stock in small amounts, and stir
your assets off.

Rice - Arborio

I like to do a 4-mushroom risotto. Saute sliced buttons,
crimini, [censored], and portobellos in olive oil with some
onion and garlic. Set aside and mix into risotto when it
reaches desired consistency/texture. Add a mess of grated
parmesan. Enjoy.

Jason

"Chris Lloyd" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:jrAxc.678707$Pk3.291714@pd7tw1no...

Quoted message said:

I would like to know what the proper risotto technique is,
and what is the best rice for making risotto? I was also
wondering (more than the last

two)

Quoted message said:

what variables we can add to make the risotto more
flavourfull, such as a herb n' garlic risotto ext..

If any of you great chef's in the newsgroup could help me
out I'd be

greatly

Quoted message said:

appreciated.

-Chris Lloyd

The technique is classic. Hot liquid added slowly to a short
grain starch rice (arborio is most often used). The
thchnique of constandly stirring the rice with a wooden
spoon and adding small amounts of simmering liquid
accomplishes 2 things:

A. The stirring releases the starch on each grain
producing a creamy sauce.
B. Adding the SIMMERING liquid continues the cooking
process withoiut slowing the process while the liquid
comes back to proper temperature.

The tecghnique below from epicurious is classic:

Enjoy

Dimitri

SUN-DRIED TOMATO RISOTTO 1 ounce sun-dried tomatoes (not
packed in oil, about 10) 1 cup water 2 1/2 cups chicken
broth 1 cup finely chopped onion 1 garlic clove, minced 4
tablespoons olive oil 1 cup Arborio rice (available at
specialty foods shops and some supermarkets)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan finely chopped fresh parsley
leaves for sprinkling the risotto if desired

In a small saucepan simmer the tomatoes in the water for 1
minute, drain them, reserving the liquid, and chop them. In
a saucepan combine the reserved cooking liquid and the
broth, bring the liquid to a simmer, and keep it at a bare
simmer. In a large saucepan cook the onion and the garlic in
the oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until they are
softened, add the rice, stirring until each grain is coated
with oil, and stir in the tomatoes. Add 1/2 cup of the
simmering liquid and cook the mixture over moderate heat,
stirring constantly, until the liquid is absorbed. Continue
adding the liquid, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly
and letting each portion be absorbed before adding the next,
until the rice is tender but still al dente. (The rice
should take about 17 minutes to become al dente.) Stir in
the Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle the
risotto with the parsley. Serves 4 to 6.

Gourmet April 1992

Epicurious Food © 2003 CondéNet Inc. All rights reserved.

"Chris Lloyd" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:jrAxc.678707$Pk3.291714@pd7tw1no...

Quoted message said:

I would like to know what the proper risotto technique is,
and what is the best rice for making risotto? I was also
wondering (more than the last

two)

Quoted message said:

what variables we can add to make the risotto more
flavourfull, such as a herb n' garlic risotto ext..

Arborio or carnaroli are generally considered ideal although
there are probably others. Do NOT wash the rice - this is
one of the few instances where washing is not desirable. You
can make great risotto in the microwave, every bit as good
as the stovetop method and a lot easier.

--
Peter Aitken

Remove the [censored] from my email address before using.

Hi I use arborio (sp?) I have made it with a bit of butter,
some Italian dressing, imitation crab/lobster and peas (in
the pod, added last minute) Obviously I'd recommend real
seafood, but I view the imitation as a completely different
food, and like both. My toddler loves this, except the peas.

Not a great chef, but a cook on a shoestring :-) Tara

Quoted message said:

If any of you great chef's in the newsgroup could help me
out I'd be greatly appreciated.

Best rice would be Arborio or Carnarolli. Since these rice
varieties and therefore the dish are from the Po Valley in
Northern Italy, the usual cooking fat of choice is butter
rather than olive oil. Finely chopped shallots are often
added before the rice. Apart from that remember not to add
too much stock at a time, and follow the rule of "plenty of
steam, plenty of stirring." The additions of stock should
take about 20 mins from start to finish. Almost all classic
risotti should have hard cheese added, maybe with the
exception of a seafood risotto, which would also often be
made with olive oil rather than butter. A great risotto can
be made by rehydrating dried cep mushrooms in hot (not
boiling) water, and then adding the liquor to the stock.
Great accompaniment to sauteed rabbit or chicken liver.

Colin

"Jason Tinling" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Chris Lloyd" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:jrAxc.678707$Pk3.291714@pd7tw1no:

Quoted message said:

I would like to know what the proper risotto technique
is, and what is the best rice for making risotto? I was
also wondering (more than the last two) what variables
we can add to make the risotto more flavourfull, such as
a herb n' garlic risotto ext..

If any of you great chef's in the newsgroup could help
me out I'd be greatly appreciated.

-Chris Lloyd

Chris -

Proper risotto "technique"? Put the rice in a hot pan with
olive oil, stir until rice gets a slightly "nutty" smell.
Turn the heat down, add stock in small amounts, and stir
your assets off.

Rice - Arborio

I like to do a 4-mushroom risotto. Saute sliced buttons,
crimini, [censored], and portobellos in olive oil with some
onion and garlic. Set aside and mix into risotto when it
reaches desired consistency/texture. Add a mess of grated
parmesan. Enjoy.

Jason

"Peter Aitken" <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

"Chris Lloyd" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:jrAxc.678707$Pk3.291714@pd7tw1no...

Quoted message said:

I would like to know what the proper risotto technique
is, and what is the best rice for making risotto? I was
also wondering (more than the last

two)

Quoted message said:

what variables we can add to make the risotto more
flavourfull, such as a herb n' garlic risotto ext..

Arborio or carnaroli are generally considered ideal
although there are probably others. Do NOT wash the rice -
this is one of the few instances where washing is not
desirable. You can make great risotto in the microwave,
every bit as good as the stovetop method and a lot easier.

Curious... What about the constant stirring?

--
Wayne in Phoenix

Big on natural foods?? 82.38% of people die of
"natural" causes.

"Wayne" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Peter Aitken" <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

"Chris Lloyd" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:jrAxc.678707$Pk3.291714@pd7tw1no...

Quoted message said:

I would like to know what the proper risotto technique
is, and what is the best rice for making risotto? I was
also wondering (more than the last

two)

Quoted message said:

what variables we can add to make the risotto more
flavourfull, such as a herb n' garlic risotto ext..

Arborio or carnaroli are generally considered ideal
although there are probably others. Do NOT wash the rice
- this is one of the few instances where washing is not
desirable. You can make great risotto in the microwave,
every bit as good as the stovetop method and a lot
easier.

Curious... What about the constant stirring?

--

Here's a quote from Barbara Kafka's "The Microwave Gourmet"

"The very idiosyncracy of cooking that makes a microwave
generally unacceptible for cooking of floury dishes makes
risotto work well. Starch absorbs water slowly the MW and it
absorbs too much."

In other words, the characteristics of MW cooking do the job
of the stirring.

Here's the recipe. It took me a few times to get it just
right because things like the temp of the broth, the age of
the rice, and the power of the oven make a difference.

2 TB unsalted butter 2 TB olive oil
1/2 minced yellow onion 1 c arborio rice 3 c chicken broth
or broth of your choice 1 tsp salt (I find this too much)
black pepper
2/2 grated Parmesian cheese

All cooking is uncovered at 100%

Put butter and oil in a 2 quart MW pan such as a souffle
dish. Heat for 2
min. Stir in onions and cook for 3 mintues. Stir in rice to
coat with fat and cook for 4 min, stirring once after 2
min. Add broth and cook for 9 minutes. Stir and cook
for another 9 minutes or until almost all of the broth
is absorbed. Remove from oven and let stand 5 min. Stir
in salt and peper to taste and the cheese.

--
Peter Aitken

Remove the [censored] from my email address before using.

"Peter Aitken" <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

"Wayne" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Peter Aitken" <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

"Chris Lloyd" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:jrAxc.678707$Pk3.291714@pd7tw1no...
> I would like to know what the proper risotto technique
> is, and what is the best rice for making risotto? I
> was also wondering (more than the last
two)
> what variables we can add to make the risotto more
> flavourfull, such as a herb n' garlic risotto ext..
>

Arborio or carnaroli are generally considered ideal
although there are probably others. Do NOT wash the
rice - this is one of the few instances where washing
is not desirable. You can make great risotto in the
microwave, every bit as good as the stovetop method and
a lot easier.

Curious... What about the constant stirring?

--

Here's a quote from Barbara Kafka's "The Microwave
Gourmet"

"The very idiosyncracy of cooking that makes a microwave
generally unacceptible for cooking of floury dishes makes
risotto work well. Starch absorbs water slowly the MW and
it absorbs too much."

In other words, the characteristics of MW cooking do the
job of the stirring.

Here's the recipe. It took me a few times to get it just
right because things like the temp of the broth, the age
of the rice, and the power of the oven make a difference.

2 TB unsalted butter 2 TB olive oil
1/2 minced yellow onion 1 c arborio rice 3 c chicken broth
or broth of your choice 1 tsp salt (I find this too
much) black pepper
1/2 grated Parmesian cheese

All cooking is uncovered at 100%

Put butter and oil in a 2 quart MW pan such as a souffle
dish. Heat for 2 min. Stir in onions and cook for 3
mintues. Stir in rice to coat with fat and cook for 4 min,
stirring once after 2 min. Add broth and cook for 9
minutes. Stir and cook for another 9 minutes or until
almost all of the broth is absorbed. Remove from oven and
let stand 5
min. Stir in salt and peper to taste and the cheese.

Thanks for posting this, Peter. I definitely have to try it
this way! I love risotto and I sometimes don't like fussing
over the stove. I'm also a fan of Barbara Kafka, but I don't
happen to have that particular book.

--
Wayne in Phoenix

Big on natural foods?? 82.38% of people die of
"natural" causes.