I’ve never eaten Risotto until today. I’ve heard all the raves about risotto for months, but I finally made it today. I needed a rather simple, uncomplicated Risotto to go along with our steaks. I had a hard time finding a recipe I felt would work so I had to improvise. I was thrilled with the outcome. It was delicious!! I ate far too much of it, but I simply couldn’t stop.
Risotto is a common Italian dish. When making risotto, short grain rice (such as arborio or carnaroli) is cooked briefly in butter/olive oil until evenly coated and the rice starts to turn translucent. Then broth is added, a ladle at a time. If the rice is not toasted, it can not be called “risotto.” Traditionally, risotto is a dish in itself – either a first course or main course. Its rarely served with meat, chicken, or fish, but just about anything can be added to risotto to flavor it. However, the methodology of preparation remains the same. The rice should be cooked ‘al dente,’ it should be firm but tender. It sounds much more complicated than it really is. You just need a little bit of patience. I’m looking forward to experimenting with future varieties!
Parmigiano-Reggiano Risotto
3 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup Carnaroli rice (or arborio rice)
1/4 – 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese*
Black Pepper to Taste
Bring broth to a boil in medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low; cover saucepan.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion; sauté until very tender but not brown, about 10-15 minutes. Increase heat to medium. Add rice and stir 1-2 minutes. Add 1 cup of warm broth. Boil gently until broth is absorbed, stirring frequently. Add remaining 2 cups broth, 1/2 cup at a time, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently until rice is tender and mixture is creamy, about 25 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter and grated cheese. Season with pepper.
* I like it with 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano but my hubby thinks its too strong 
So I typically make it with closer to 1/3 of a cup. Start with 1/4 of cup to see what you think and work your way up, if desired
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Yum! Looks great!!
Oh and by the way I tried out the cilantro lime rice recipe you sent me. It was *almost* what I was looking for: the flavors were just a touch too bland. So next time I think I’ll double the lime and cilantro.
i’ve never made risotto…i really need to!