The Delicious Italian Rice Dish Risotto

I'm sure we are all familiar of the rice dish risotto. It's Italian and carrying culinary Italian cuisine name means it is one of the most fabulous Italian dishes.

If you use a short grain variety like Arborio rice when making your risotto, then you making a perfect risotto. Arborio is the most popularly used short-grain rice variety that Italians love for their risottos. This rice has the capacity to absorb large amounts of liquid while keeping its shape. The starchy rice when combined with the stock during cooking creates a fantastic soupy sauce giving risotto its smooth, velvety and creamy appearance.

Risotto is made by sautéing rice in oil or butter, onion and garlic then adding ladles of hot stock at a time while constantly stirring, until the rice absorbs the stock. This process is called toasting the rice which is important so the rice can absorb liquid more quickly. It usually takes about 20 to 25 minutes to cook a risotto from all the constant adding of stock and stirring, without producing a mushy rice dish.

Traditional risotto has only around 6 basic ingredients. Along with its basic ingredients oil, onion starchy rice, hot stock and cheese, a risotto can be made using many kinds of vegetables and legumes, meat, poultry, seafood, fish and any type of wine and cheese. You can even include berries or any fruit of your taste.

Here is one of the most famous Italian Risotto recipe that you could try for dinner: It's called Milanese Risotto.

Ingredients:
(serves 4)

• 1 litre salt-reduced chicken stock
• Pinch saffron threads
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 1/2cups arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
• 20g butter, chopped
• Finely grated parmesan cheese, to serve

Procedure:

Place stock and saffron in a saucepan. Cover. Bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low. Simmer until needed. Heat oil in a large cast iron pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add rice. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add wine. Bring to the boil. Boil for 1 to 2 minutes or until wine is reduced by half.

Add 1/3 cup stock to rice mixture. Cook, stirring, until stock has absorbed. Repeat with remaining stock, adding 1/3 cup at a time, until all liquid has absorbed and rice is tender and creamy, adding peas to rice mixture with final 1/3 cup stock.

Cook for 5 minutes or until peas are heated through. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with cheese.

Enjoy!