In the kitchen: Creamy risotto

I love eating risotto. It seems like a complicated dish because everyone has their dos and don’ts. However, this creamy Italian rice dish is so tasty – if you get a chance to try it - do not hesitate. The only thing I will caution is that cooking risotto requires patience. If you are in a hurry – do not get started. It takes a lot of stirring.

So, what is risotto? It is a classic Italian rice made mostly with arborio rice. The rice is named after the region in Italy where it originates. Other types of rice can be substituted but the results might not be the same.

The rice is cooked in vegetable, chicken or meat stock and the flavor is enhanced by adding alliums such as scallion, onion, garlic or shallots. Spices, herbs and parmigiana cheese can also be added for extra flavor.
Please bear this in mind as I share my recipe. Every time I make this dish, I chose a different allium. I also choose a different mix of mushrooms. You can also decide to leave the mushroom out - it is up to you. It is great when you can make the recipe your own.

As this is quite a rich dish, I always make my own simple broth.

Simple broth

Place a large pan on the stove
Fill it with water – 20 cups (4-5 cups is needed for every cup of rice)
Add Italian herbs
Add celtic sea salt to taste
Bring to boil.
Or
Select your broth of choice
Bring to a boil.

Thereafter keep the broth on a low flame to ensure the broth remains hot and at boiling point.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons oil (grapeseed oil or olive oil)
3 stalks of skellions, chopped
Approximately 500-700g finely chopped mushrooms (mixed – shiitake, button, etc.)
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
4 cups arborio rice
A splash of white wine or lemon juice to add acidity
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste

Garnish (optional)

Freshly chopped parsley
Grated parmesan cheese

Method

Select a wide and deep enough pot as the rice will swell – doubling its initial size.
Heat the oil in the pan, add the chopped scallions in the pan and cooked until it’s translucent and softened.
Add the butter and mushrooms. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Stir occasionally to ensure the mushrooms do not stick to the pan. Cook until tender.
Add the garlic and thyme. Stir to combine and cook until the garlic and thyme are aromatic.
Add the rice ensuring that it is fully coated and combined with the mushroom mixture.
Allow the rice to toast in the pan for 1-2 minutes. Continue to stir the rice to ensure that it does not burn.
Add a splash of wine to the pan.
When the wine is evaporated, start adding just enough stock to cover the rice.
Stir constantly until the stock is absorb then repeat. This might take approximately 20 mins until all the broth is used.
When the rice is cooked it should be "al dente" – firm to the bite but cooked inside. (Or cook to your liking)
Now it is time to serve.
Remove from the stove and share.