Risotto
By: Debby aka "Food...
Published: Thursday, December 3, 2009 - 1:57am

Ingredients




1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
6 cups to 8  chicken stock, heated
¼ cup grated Parmesean cheese
1 tablespoon ½  butter to finish
Salt, pepper to taste

Preparation

1 In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter into the olive oil. Add the onion and cook until translucent. 2 Add the rice, stirring to coat it with the oil until the rice is hot, pearly white but not brown, about four minutes. 3 Stir in the wine and let it reduce by half, about two minutes. 4 Add one ladle of warm stock, about ½ cup, and stir until incorporated into the rice. Continue this process for about 20 minutes, then taste a grain of rice. It should have a slight resistance when chewed. If it seems too hard, add 1/4 cup more broth and continue cooking for another few minutes until broth has been absorbed and test the rice again. 5 Remove pot from heat and let it sit about two minutes. Stir in the cheese and butter, adding salt and pepper to taste.

About


Risotto sounds posh, but it’s a great value food and offers a splendid way to use up leftovers or clear out the fridge. To this basic recipe you can add virtually anything – a handful of leftover vegetables, shrimp, chicken, chorizo – whatever you’ve got on hand. The simplest way to incorporate them is to stir into the risotto when it's near completion.