Feel the Authentic North Italian Taste With This Delightful Risotto

By Staff Report
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Updated: February 16, 2022

Contrary to what many people may believe, risotto is not just rice. This dish has a history of its own, and of course, its flavor is way different from common rice. Many people don’t like rice as it is, but risotto may have scaled up to be a favorite on the list.

Maybe you have experienced the stunning sensation of flavors of risotto before, or maybe you’re here looking for your first time. Either way, you must know that a regular risotto rice recipe can be prepared with very different ingredients, such as chicken, meat, fish, seafood, and, if you want to add vegetables, you can do it too. This awesome dish has a very versatile preparation.

Where does risotto come from?

It may come as a surprise, but when a famine struck Northern Italy in the late 1400s, Italians grew rice in some regions for survival. However, the emergence of this traditional dish didn’t happen until 1574.

The first actual risotto recipe there is a register of was “Risotto alla Milanese” around the year 1853, which apparently was created thanks to a young Italian boy who was in love with his teacher’s daughter.

But risotto is not the same as plain rice, simply because a real risotto cannot be prepared with any type of rice. One of the main characteristics of this dish is that it requires a short-grained rice, high on starch, to obtain a thick and creamy result.

Risotto is easy to prepare, and so it’s perfect when your goal is to surprise somebody with your exquisite taste. It doesn’t require much time or expertise, but the result looks very professional, as if you had put a lot of time and effort on it.

How to prepare a delightful risotto?

As stated earlier, the risotto recipe allows for many variations. Are you a decent at-home chef? Then risotto is perfect if you want to step up your cooking skills by adding unusual textures and flavors to it. Today you can find recipes that include fruit or other unusual (even extravagant) ingredients, so there is really nothing that can hold you back from making this delicious dish.

You don’t feel confident at all when cooking? Don’t fret! The following is the easiest recipe to prepare your first risotto. Don’t be shy and call your friends for dinner! You’ll impress them with your brand-new culinary skills.

Ingredients

14 oz (400 g) of short-grained rice (it’s high on starch and it serves 4 people).
Chicken broth (vegetable broth will be ok too).
1 onion (it’s like the third most important ingredient, don’t miss it!).
2-3 stems of celery.
2 garlic cloves.
2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil.
3 oz (90 g) of butter.
1 ½ cup (400 ml) of dry white wine.
4 oz (115 g) of parmesan cheese.
Salt and ground black pepper to taste.

Preparation

Risotto is a dish that you can prepare in at least 30 minutes.

Chop the celery and the garlic cloves and sauté them in a pot with some olive oil and butter for 15 minutes. Set your stove on low heat.
Add the broth and cover the pot. Let it heat up to a boil.
Add the rice to the vegetable and broth mix and set your stove to high heat.
Let the rice absorb most of the broth and then pour the white wine. Stir until the alcohol evaporates.
Add some broth and stir to continue cooking your rice. Repeat this step each time you see all the liquid has been absorbed, until you see the rice is completely done. You will see the rice is soft and creamy and there’s no extra liquid in the pot.
When rice is ready, turn off the heat and season with salt and pepper. Add some extra butter and parmesan cheese and stir vigorously to help them melt and add creaminess to the rice.

This easy recipe comes in handy for those occasions when you don’t want to spend time in the kitchen. It’s fast, it’s easy and it will certainly be cheaper and healthier than ordering fast food! Once you have mastered it, you can start experimenting and have a new version with fantastic and unique flavors every time. You will never get tired of risotto!