Contents
Risotto with mushrooms or vegetables: how to cook. Video
Risotto is a traditional Italian dish made from starchy rice. For its preparation, a special technique is used, which allows you to obtain a special, creamy consistency. Having mastered the basic rules and techniques, you can prepare risotto to your taste with any additives such as mushrooms or vegetables.
Risotto. Basic cooking recipe
Use uncooked arborio, carnaroli, or vialone nano rice. For each cup of raw rice, you will need about 4 cups of hot chicken, mushroom, or vegetable broth. Keep the stock hot in a small saucepan over low heat. You will also need a small scoop to add the hot stock to the rice and a wooden spoon to stir the risotto. In a wide saucepan with a thick bottom, heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, add about ½ cup of finely chopped onions. Fry the onions until translucent. Sprinkle the rice over the bottom of the pan in an even layer and stir with a spoon until each rice is covered with a layer of oil. Fry the rice, stirring occasionally, until the kernels develop a distinct nutty flavor.
Fried rice for risotto is transparent, with a pleasant smell, but not burnt, without a brown crust
Add about half a glass of dry white wine and stir the rice until absorbed. Wine adds depth and aroma to the flavor of risotto. Any dry table white wine will suit you. After the wine, add 1 ladle of broth to the rice; while stirring, wait until it is completely absorbed and pour in the next one. The secret of risotto is the timely addition of the next portion of liquid. You should pour in the broth exactly when the previous one has already been absorbed, but at the same time do not allow the rice to be dry. Usually rice absorbs the amount of liquid it is supposed to and takes on the required consistency – the grains are soft on the outside and slightly hard on the inside – in 20-30 minutes.
How to cook risotto with mushrooms or vegetables
There are two ways to add additional ingredients to risotto: raw, along with onions, before adding the rice, or boiled, poached, fried, shortly before the dish is ready. The choice depends on the moisture content of the additional ingredient and on the speed of its preparation. If the “supplement” contains a lot of water, as in zucchini, eggplant, or most fresh mushrooms, they are cooked separately; if the product takes much longer or much faster than the risotto, it is also cooked separately. If the ingredient you want to add to the risotto does not contain excess juices and does not take longer than 20 minutes to cook, it is chopped and fried along with the onion. Knowing this rule, you can make risotto with any ingredient you like.
Among the famous types of risotto with vegetables, it is worth mentioning the pumpkin risotto, popular in northern Italy, Milanese risotto with turnips, risotto with sweet pepper, basil and tomatoes, as well as risotto with green peas in Venetian style. Italians prefer to add seasonal vegetables to the risotto whenever possible. Mushroom risottos are traditionally made with chanterelles (“yellow” risotto) or porcini mushrooms.
A great dish for a romantic meal is risotto ai fiori di zucca al prosecco – risotto with fried zucchini flowers and prosecco sparkling wine
After the rice has absorbed all of the broth and you have added additional ingredients as needed, add 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter and about ¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese to the risotto. You can also add freshly chopped Italian parsley leaves. Stir. Try the rice with salt and pepper, add spices if necessary. The soft, creamy risotto should be served immediately; this dish is not reheated.