Risotto (risotto, ital., Literally "small rice") is a dish, widely distributed in Northern Italy, based on rice. Let's see what kind of rice is needed for cooking risotto.
Of course, with a limited choice, you can use any kind of rice, but since the dish is Italian, it is best to choose from Italian varieties of rice, which are suitable for cooking risotto more than others.
How to choose rice for risotto?
To prepare a risotto, usually use round grain varieties of rice with a high content of starch. Varieties such as Maratelli, Carnaroli and Vialone Nano are considered the best, but they are quite expensive. Also suitable varieties Arborio, Padano, Baldo and Roma.
How to cook rice risotto?
There are many options for cooking risotto , everything depends on regional and individual preferences. You can say, this dish with an unfixed composition of ingredients. However, you should strive for maximum consistency creaminess. Sometimes, for this purpose, a mixture of whipped butter and grated cheese is added to the almost ready risotto (usually Parmesan or Pecorino).
Rice pre-fried in olive or butter (or even chicken fat), then in a few tricks in rice, add hot broth (from meat, poultry, fish or vegetables), and for risotto with seafood - ordinary water from an approximate calculation of 3- 4 cups for 1 cup of rice. Risotto is stewed with constant stirring. Each next portion of the liquid is added after the rice grains have absorbed the previous one. In the final add the desired filler (it can be separately cooked meat or vegetables, mushrooms or fish, seafood, dried fruits).
Rice risotto recipe
Ingredients:
- rice round grain pure white - 300 g;
- chicken fillet - 300 g;
- sweet red pepper - 2 pcs .;
- onion - 2 pcs .;
- spices for broth;
- different greens (basil, rosemary, parsley, but not dill);
- garlic - 2 cloves;
- chicken fat - 30-50 g;
- a little vegetable oil for frying vegetables;
- white wine, dry Vermouth - 30 ml;
- butter - 50 g;
- Parmesan cheese - 50 g.
Preparation
We chop the chicken fillet into small pieces and cook the broth (the cut meat is cooked for 20 minutes). Meat is extracted with a bubble, and the broth is filtered.
Melt the chicken fat in the saucepan and fry the rice, stirring with a spatula, over medium heat. Gradually, repeatedly pouring broth, stirring occasionally, we will squash the rice until it is ready under the lid.
In a small frying pan, heat the vegetable oil and fry the finely chopped onions. Add the chopped sweet pepper.
Prepare the sauce: melt the butter and add to it finely grated cheese, then - vermouth and in the end - the garlic squeezed. Can be seasoned with ground dry spices.
Mix ready rice with meat and vegetables. We will spread out on plates, we will fill up with a sauce and we will pour shredded greens.
To a risotto you can serve a glass of Vermouth as an aperitif.
Some will ask, what is the difference between risotto and pilau? Try and feel the difference.