Risotto: One of those dishes that people tend to be wary of making. It really isn’t a difficult dish to make but it does require focus and a bit of time. The basics are pretty easy and it requires consistent stirring to keep it from burning. Other than that, it is pretty easy.
This classic Italian dish is made with starchy rice that has been cooked slowly, releasing all of its starchy creaminess to create its own flavorful sauce. The texture is unique and is what makes this dish unique in and of itself.
If you search online, you can find 100s of recipes. Really, with the same similar base ingredients of one of the types of starchy rice and broth, the additions and flavors are infinite. I’m going to give you three examples of what are the best-trending recipes out there.
What Makes Risotto Special?
This elegant and popular dish is made with a high-starch short-grain rice that is cooked in a broth. You add a little at a time and stir it constantly in order to release the starch that causes the rice to create its own thickened sauce. That is what makes it so creamy. The most common rice used include Arborio, Carnaroli, and Vialone Nano. They are all high starch allowing for the creaminess that makes the sauce. The only things that every recipe needs is the starchy rice and the broth. Outside of that, you can really add anything you want, trying different ingredients based on your own tastes.
Some possibilities include:
Liquids and Oils:
- Butter
- White or Dry Vermouth
- Wine
- Any types of broth
Other:
- vegetables
- seafood
- diced meat
- mushrooms
- cheeses
3 Amazing Recipes
Mushroom Risotto (2 servings)
What you need
- Skillet
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 shallot diced
- 1 lb. mushrooms
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup favorite wine
- 3 cups vegetable broth (hot)
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- Garnish of your choice
What you do
- Melt the butter in the skillet.
- Sauté the shallot in the butter.
- Add the rice and toast for 1 – 2 minutes, stirring to it doesn’t burn.
- Add the wine and continue to stir until the wine is evaporated.
- Your Broth should be boiling at this point. Add about 1/2 – 1 cup of the broth to the rice. Continue to stir until the water is completely absorbed. Once it is absorbed, add another 1/2 – 1 cup broth.
- Repeat until all except about 3/4 cup of broth is used.
- Add the sliced mushrooms and the last of the broth. Continue to stir until the water is absorbed. If the rice is tender, move on to the next step. If not, add a little water and continue to stir until the rice is tender. Be careful stirring the mushroom as you don’t want to break them up.
- Stir in the cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- When finished, serve, garnish as you would like.
Notes
- I do not use salt in mine as I find the broth is usually salty enough. Please use your own taste for this.
- You can add diced meats to this recipe, or seafood.
Seafood Risotto (Serves 3 – 4)
What you need
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 4 to 5 cups warm seafood stock
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- your choice of garnish
- Lemon wedges for serving
Seafood
You choose about 1 pound total cooked
- Pan-cooked shrimp
- Seared sea scallops
- Steamed clams (meat only)
- Cooked lump crabmeat or crab claws
- Cooked lobster tail or cooked claws
What you do
-
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
-
Sauté the shallot until soft.
-
Add the Arborio rice and toast for another 2 to 3 minutes.
-
Add the white wine stirring until most of the wine has been absorbed,
-
Add in 1 cup of hot seafood stock
-
Repeat adding stock 1/2 cup at a time and stirring until most of the stock has been absorbed before each addition
-
When the rice is done, remove it from the heat and stir in the cheese, lemon zest, and heavy cream.
-
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Sauté the seafood together in a bit of butter or olive oil until warmed and combined.
-
To serve, pour the rice in a serving bowl or individual bowls and top with assorted cooked seafood.
-
Garnish and serve with lemon wedges.
Butternut Squash Saffron Risotto (serves 3 – 4)
What you need
- 1 butternut squash, about 2 pounds
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 ounces pancetta, diced
- 1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large)
- 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon saffron threads
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
What you do
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes.
- Toss the squash with the olive and salt and pepper, and place on a lined baking sheet.
- Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.
- Bring chicken broth to a boil and then simmer over low heat.
- In a heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter and sauté the pancetta and shallots until the shallots are translucent
- Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add 1 cup stock, the saffron, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to the rice
- Stir and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Continue to add the stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring every few minutes, until absorbed
- Continue until the rice is cooked through
- remove from heat and stir in the squash and the cheese.
- Serve
Wrapping It Up
Having a dinner party? What a great way to impress with a relatively easy meal. Practice a bit before and choose the kind of rice that you like. Note that the regular everyday rice that you buy doesn’t work, you do need a high-starch rice to get the correct texture. The trick is add liquid and then stir. The add-ins come at the end.
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