Risotto- My New Go To Side Dish...Or Meal!

I promised in my last recipe post I would blog soon about risotto. I wanted to try to make it for a long time, but was kind of intimidated by it. I decided to suck it up and go for it on New Year's Eve! Ever since then I've used that first New Year's Eve recipe and tweaked it (I know, you're shocked) and it's become a staple. The most important thing to know about risotto, while it is easy, it takes a little bit of town. The less servings you make the faster it goes, but still plan on 30 minutes to 1 hour if you are making a large number of servings.

INGREDIENTS for a basic risotto
1 small onion, diced
2-4 cloves of garlic, diced(depending on the size of the cloves, and how much you like garlic)
1 cup of arborio rice
3-4 cups of chicken stock


METHOD
Start by heating a few tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Then add the onion and cook for 5 minutes or until the onions start to get clear and mushy. Then add the garlic. You may need to turn the heat down a little when you add the garlic. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. At this point you add the rice. Toast it for a few minutes before you start adding the liquid. At this point you can add a little white wine if you'd like and reduce. You can omit it if you like, but I think it gives the risotto a nice flavor. I've done it with and without, both ways are still make excellent dishes. Once the wine reduces, start ladling in the chicken stock. Add one ladle of stock and stir frequently. You don't necessarily have to stir constantly, but very very often is best. Keep the heat high enough that the liquid in the pot is always simmering. Once the rice absorbs all the liquid, add another label and repeat. When you are stirring in the last ladle, your risotto will be very thick and creamy. Taste it. If the rice isn't fully cooked, if it is still too firm, then keep going with more stock until it gets nice and soft.

Once your rice is done cooking turn the heat down to low and this is where you can play with your flavors. I always add a handful of shredded Parmesan cheese to mine, and if I'm feeling lazy I'll just throw in a few dashes of Italian seasoning.
When I made it NYE, I substituted champagne for the wine and ended with thyme instead of the Italian seasoning. When I made it with Olive Garden Salad chicken, I used a red onion instead of yellow, and at the end I added basil and half of a can of sweet yellow corn.

That way was AWESOME! Of course, if you hate onions, you can always leave them out. Or if you don't like using fresh garlic, you could always used the refrigerated minced kind that comes in a jar.
If I find anymore great flavor combos I'll definitely let you know..and PLEASE comment and let me know if you find any good flavor combos for me to try! I want new ideas too! :)


Whatever way you make it..HAPPY COOKING!



Share on Facebook!