Risotto is delicious. It's the perfect mating of rice and pasta and if cooked correctly (slightly al dente), this simple dish is much more satisfying than it has any right to be.
The best part about risotto might be it's amenability to being customized. You can easily make this dish your own by adding your own culinary "pieces of flair". Just make sure you have 15 pieces or 37, or whatever you need to not be doing the bare minimum.
Stuff:
2 table spoons each olive oil and butter
1 cup risotto (aka: arborio rice)
3 cups stock (chicken/veg/fish/shrimp...)
1 half of a sweet onion, chopped
minced garlic, to taste (I cheat and use the jarred pre-minced garlic preserved in water)
salt and pepper (use grinders and sea salt!)
Pieces of flair:
pinch of saffron threads
drizzle of truffle oil
Technique:
1. heat oil and butter in a 3 qt pot over medium heat.
2. reduce heat a tiny bit to 3-4/10 and add onion. season with salt and pepper and cook until almost caramelized.
3. add garlic (i use about a teaspoon, believe it or not) and cook for 1 more minute. if using the saffron, add it now.
4. add rice and stir. cook 1 minute.
5. add 1 cup of stock, wait until absorbed, repeat until risotto is al dente and creamy.
6. remove from heat, and drizzle with a tiny bit of truffle oil and mix, adding more if necessary.
7. garnish with parsley, shaved hard cheese or cilantro etc.
Tips:
don't stir it too, too much or it will get overly gooey. don't cook it over long or it will turn to mush.
do serve with a grilled or sauteed protein and something green or at least marginally a vegetable. or it eat in on it's own, i love risotto.
add mushrooms or something else funky and just use your best judgment on cooking the addition and when to add it.
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