Risotto

If truth be known, I love everything about Italian cooking.

I love the rich flavors of pappardelle tossed with slow-cooked ragu, the abundant greens sauteed with garlic and olive oil, the thick rustic bean soups, the prosciutto, the Parmigiano Reggiano. Everything.

And let’s not forget what Italians do with nature’s greatest fruit, the tomato, or their culinary offering to meat lovers: the magnificent, marbled, three-finger-thick porterhouse known as bistecca alla Fiorentina.

But what I really admire about the Italian kitchen is the respect given to the most humble ingredients, like rice, for example.

In many parts of the world, we think of rice as a simple side dish to accompany something far more important on the plate. In Italy, where rice is one of the chief agricultural crops, this humble grain is transformed into a spectacular, creamy dish called risotto that tastes as delicious as anything you’ve ever eaten.

But let’s be clear; not all rice is created equal.

Out of 7,000 varieties, only three are traditionally used to make risotto. These varieties, all Italian in origin, are arborio, vialone nano and carnaroli, originating in the Po Valley in Northern Italy. What differentiates them from other rices are the starches they contain. On the outside each has a soft starch, which dissolves during cooking to give the risotto a creamy texture, while the interior of each of these kernels contains a resilient starch that stays firm through the cooking process. This yields an al dente consistency, a toothy bite.

Because the ratio of these two starches varies in each of these rice varieties, each rice has its own personality and cooks slightly differently. In general terms, arborio produces a denser risotto, which requires a little more care not to overcook, while the other two varieties produce slightly creamier dishes with lots of bite.

Of course, Italy being Italy, every cook has an opinion on which rice is best. But in my experience, you can make an outstanding risotto with any of the three and, frankly, I’m quite happy to love the one that’s in my cupboard at the moment, or the one that’s easiest to obtain in my local store. (In most cases, that will be arborio.)

Making a great risotto at home is surprisingly simple, as long as you start with fresh, excellent-quality ingredients and have about 20 minutes of uninterrupted time to stir the pot. The good news is that no matter what ingredients take center stage in your recipe – meat, seafood, vegetables, herbs, cheese – the cooking process is essentially the same.

Here’s the skinny: Start by sautéing an aromatic ingredient, frequently onion, in butter and/or oil. Then add the rice and stir a few minutes. At this point, start adding liquid (wine first, stock to follow) in small increments, allowing the rice to absorb each addition before adding the next. And once the rice is nearly done cooking, add the final ingredients, which are often one of more of the following: a little more stock, a sprinkling of cheese, a little butter, a drizzle of cream.

See what I mean? Simple! But keep in mind that while the risotto is taking shape, the cook must be standing at the stove, overseeing the entire process and stirring, stirring, stirring the entire time. Okay, you’re permitted to take a few seconds off here and there for a sip of wine or to break off a piece of the Parmigiano sitting on the counter. But that’s it. The rest of the time, it’s all about stirring, which ensures that the mixture cooks evenly and nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.

Like everything else, practice makes perfect. The more you cook risotto, the easier it becomes. But for a little encouragement, here are a few tips to help you get started.

- Use a heavy, good-quality pot that retains constant heat so that you can cook over medium to medium-high heat without burning or scorching the rice. The tool for stirring is a wooden spoon.

- Make sure your rice is fresh. If it’s been sitting in the cupboard for 6 months or longer, chances are it’s tired. Start with a fresh supply. And, remember, never wash the rice.

- If you’re using wine in your recipe, taste it first to make sure it’s good (not corked) and that you like the taste. A good rule of thumb is that if you don’t like the taste of a wine for drinking, don’t cook with it.

- Many of the best risottos start with delicious homemade stock. You can use a canned or boxed low-sodium stock in a pinch, but nothing will be as good as homemade stock. And even the low-sodium products often have too much salt.

- Throughout the cooking process keep the risotto at an even, lively, but low boil to ensure the proper rate of evaporation of the stock. Keep the pot of stock warm on a separate burner and make sure you have enough. If you happen to run out, you can add water, but the flavors won’t be as rich.

- If your recipe calls for Parmesan cheese, always use Parmigiano Reggiano and grate it yourself, just before using. Never buy cheese that has already been grated.

- Once the risotto is done, serve immediately on warmed plates.

For a delicious mushroom risotto infused with the earthy flavor of fall mushrooms, see Recipe Memoirs; Wild Mushroom Risotto. Serve as a first course or main dish, accompanied with salad or sautéed greens, crusty bread and a bottle of Barbaresco, Barolo or Chianti Classico.

Buon appetito!