3 tips: don't stop stirring, definitely try it with wine (makes a big difference in flavor) and make sure the liquid (stock, broth, whatever) you add is hot or at least at a warm temperature. Let us know how it turns out!
I've had a lot of luck with the below recipe, I am a self taught cook and made this recipe without fail the first time! I believe she also has different variations on her website but once you have the basic risotto down you should be able to easily modify for a spring or summer appropriate risotto :)
https://food52.com/recipes/10435-ricotta-risotto-with-dandelion-greens-and-orange
I promise you that this delicious risotto will be a snap to make. I also had fears about risotto but have gotten over them. There are many wonderful recipes for risotto for you to try and they always seem like a dressed up dish to serve. Enjoy!
I tried for years with several disappointments but persevered because I love risotto. Just this week I made my best so far. I have found that Carnaroli or Vialone Nano risotto rice, rather than Arborio, are more forgiving. Also, two of your advisors here have suggested turning down the heat before adding broth, I thought you were supposed to turn it up? And I use a heavy cocotte (Dutch Oven) to cook it in to maintain the heat. I use a recipe from Lidia Bastianich that starts off with oil and ends up with butter. Yum.
Marcella Hazan's basic recipe never fails. http://www.pbs.org/food/recipes/marcella-hazan-parmesan-risotto/ Also, make sure to heat the broth before you add to the rice. I've regretted skipping this step!
For the Food52 risotto contest (2010?) Amanda and Merrill made a video of making risotto with an Italian chef whose name escapes me. That's how I learned to make risotto. I have searched the site for that video, but I can't find it. However, I did find this: https://food52.com/blog/6045-how-to-make-any-risotto-in-5-steps
Get a reliable recipe, follow the directions, and just do it. The ingredients are not all that expensive and if you fail, what have you lost? But if you follow the directions, it will work!
As others have noted, risotto is actually pretty easy. I think the 'scary' reputation comes mostly from the emphasis on continual attention/stirring....e.g., admonishments that if you stop for even a few seconds, disaster will ensue! Except, not. Anyway, what's the worst that could happen - an imperfect pot of risotto? Were that all stakes were that low. Give it a whirl and have fun with it!
I can only add that I taught someone to make risotto once and she used Uncle Ben's. Didn't work out.
I should have been clearer to use Arborio/Carnaroli rice. Make sure it's the correct grain.
Cheers
irina
Soften your onions and any other veggie additions as per whatever recipe you're using, then turn up the heat a bit before you add your rice. It helps the rice toast a bit in the oil and doing that properly is really the whole trick to the thing - it really adds to the creaminess. You want the rice to turn translucent around the edges and it only takes a minute or two to do that. You'll notice the rice has a white spot in the middle and is more clear around the edges. That's what you want. Then turn the heat back down a bit, add your wine and stock as per your recipe and you'll be fine. I know a lot of people think risotto is hard to make but it's a myth. Risotto is super easy to make so don't be afraid - dive in and enjoy. Good luck.
KJ, if you could let us know what kind of risotto you would like to make, we will try to point you to trusted recipes. But, keep these two things in mind, because they are critical to the final outcome. 1) Make the risotto slightly more runny than what you envision the final outcome to be, because it tends to absorb liquid after you take it away from the stove. 2) Risotto is not a food that likes to sit around, so plan to make it and serve right away.
Drink the same wine you are using to make the risotto, while you are making the risotto! That always helps me relax, because I have a slight risotto making phobia.
Whichever recipe you decide on, make it with someone else in the kitchen.
At a maximum, you'll learn from someone who already knows how.
At a minimum, you'll have a nice afternoon or evening with a friend, some wine, and finish with dinner.
And if it doesnt work out, youll have a few laughs and try again.
you make rice with butter, onions, wine, broth, even more butter and cheese on top. what can possibly go wrong? everybody loves it.
take twice as much liquid as rice. warm the broth with a pinch of salt. fry an onion lightly in a slosh of butter. add the rice to fry it for around 2 minutes. add wine and stir. reduce heat to a third. slowly add the broth to the rice so that it's not dry, but sloshy.
stir from time to time. at around 10min you can just leave it with a lid for another 5minutes.
to serve, add another spoon of butter and parmigiano.
be creative by adding mushrooms at the frying stage, or beetroot with the rice.
Martha Stewart has an oven baked risotto that requires little attention and is extremely good. Here's the recipe and video:
http://www.marthastewart.com/336384/oven-baked-risotto
You shouldn't be afraid! It's actually one of the simplest things to make—which I think you'll find once you do it! Do you have a recipe you're planning on using?
23 Comments
http://cookieandkate.com/2014/easy-brown-rice-risotto-with-mushrooms-and-fresh-oregano/
I promise you that this delicious risotto will be a snap to make. I also had fears about risotto but have gotten over them. There are many wonderful recipes for risotto for you to try and they always seem like a dressed up dish to serve. Enjoy!
https://food52.com/blog/10134-how-to-make-sweet-corn-risotto-from-kernel-to-cob
While I doubt it'd make anyone feel at ease about making risotto (her blog post is better for that), it's pretty fun.
I should have been clearer to use Arborio/Carnaroli rice. Make sure it's the correct grain.
Cheers
irina
Voted the Best Reply!
At a maximum, you'll learn from someone who already knows how.
At a minimum, you'll have a nice afternoon or evening with a friend, some wine, and finish with dinner.
And if it doesnt work out, youll have a few laughs and try again.
take twice as much liquid as rice. warm the broth with a pinch of salt. fry an onion lightly in a slosh of butter. add the rice to fry it for around 2 minutes. add wine and stir. reduce heat to a third. slowly add the broth to the rice so that it's not dry, but sloshy.
stir from time to time. at around 10min you can just leave it with a lid for another 5minutes.
to serve, add another spoon of butter and parmigiano.
be creative by adding mushrooms at the frying stage, or beetroot with the rice.
http://www.marthastewart.com/336384/oven-baked-risotto