Cookbook:Italian risotto

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Cookbook | Recipes | Italian Cuisine

Risotto is a traditional North Italian dish, made with a soft short-grained rice eg. Arborio rice. This rice has a very high starch content, making for a thick and creamy texture in the finished product. You can not make a successful risotto using long-grained rice, however hard you try.

First the rice is sauteed in olive oil or butter to begin the cooking process, then liquid (stock and/or white wine) is added slowly, stirring continuously. The stirring helps to break down the grains and release more starch. Flavourings can be added either at the start (onions, chopped chicken etc) or towards the end (parmasen or grated cheese, spinach etc) depending on how long they need to cook. The actual rice will be cooked in about twenty minutes, making this a fairly quick if labour-intensive dish.

[edit] Recipes

Risotto - a basic recipe (with variations)

[edit] External links

• http://www.arborfood.com/dining-in/gourmet-details/risotto.shtml - this is a great column on risotto-making and when I have time I'll dissect the facts from it. But it's worth reading anyway - you'd never know food-making could be so poetic! lol