Risotto - classic recipe and 10 cooking options

The classic risotto recipe is one of the most popular dishes in Italy, which has gained wide popularity throughout the world. Despite the clear sequence of steps and the immutability of key components, a lot of risotto variations. Therefore, everyone can choose a recipe to their taste.

Risotto History

The first written mention of this dish dates back to the 16th century, when about a thousand risotto recipes were found in the book of the famous chef Bartolomeo Scappi. And the emergence of such an unusual way of cooking rice, the world owes to a forgetful cook. He cooked the usual rice soup with meat broth and went away for a while. When he returned, the broth boiled away, and the rice acquired a pleasant taste. The dish was further improved by adding wine, cheese and spices to it.

Classic recipe with white wine

For risotto, it is customary to take one of three starchy rice varieties: arborio, carnaroli or nialo vialone. It is this component - starch - that gives the dish a creamy texture.

 

Roasting oil should be creamy, but it is acceptable to use vegetable oil: olive, pumpkin, and sunflower. Wine can be taken at your discretion, but usually recommend Pinot Grigio.

Particular attention should be paid to the broth. It should be very hot, almost boiling. Beef is traditionally used, but depending on the filling, broth is used on chicken, vegetables, fish, or just warm water is added. As for cheese, Parmesan is traditionally used. Then rice does not need to be added.

So, the ingredients for a classic risotto: 1 head of onion, a cube of oil - 30 g; rice of the above varieties - 350 g; wine - 400 ml; finished broth - 1 l.

1. In a thick-walled dish, dissolve a piece of oil, then fry the finely chopped onions until a light shade.
2. Spread the rice and wait until it absorbs the butter and loses its whitish color.
3. Pour alcohol and cook rice until the moisture evaporates almost completely.
4. Add 300-350 ml of hot broth and continue to simmer, do not forget to stir.
5. When the moisture evaporates, start adding broth over a tablespoon so that the rice soaks up the liquid a little. This step will take from 20 to 30 minutes.
6. Check the readiness of the cereal and throw a piece of butter in it.

Before serving, put the dish on a plate and crush with grated cheese.

Cooking option with chicken

Two portions of this dish can be cooked in just an hour, but the pleasure of taste will remain for a long time.

Ingredients: a glass of rice, chicken fillet - 160 g, medium carrot, celery root - 90 g, large onion - 1 pc., Garlic - 1 large clove, wine - half a glass, Parmesan - 50-60 g, olive oil - 30 –50 ml, spices (mix of peppers, salt, herbs) - at the discretion of the hostess.

1. Pour about a liter of water into the pan, add a little salt. Put chicken and diced carrots and celery. Bring to a boil and cook over low heat for 20 minutes.
2. After that, remove the meat and cool, and put the broth on a very small fire.
3. Pour oil into a deep saucepan. When it is hot, throw the garlic crushed with a knife, lightly fry until golden and remove.
4. Free the onion from the husk, chop finely and throw into boiling oil. Cook until golden brown. Grind with spices.
5. Put the rice and stirring, fry it until transparent pearl color.
6. Add wine while stirring.
7. Once the liquid is almost completely absorbed, you need to add 2 soup ladles of the broth along with vegetables.
8. Pour the broth into the stewpan little by little and stir until the cereal is cooked (about 20-23 minutes).
9. In the meantime, you should cut the chicken into small cubes and grate the cheese.

A couple of minutes before the end of cooking it remains to pour the chicken, add Parmesan, stir and turn off the heat. After a minute, the chicken risotto can be set on the table.

Italian Risotto with Seafood

For this option you will need: a seafood mix “sea cocktail”, onion turnip - 1 pc.; 160–190 ml of broth or pure filtered water, 70–80 ml of good dry wine, 80 g of rice, a little parsley, at the request of the hostess - a mix of peppers, salt and cayenne pepper.

1. Warm the butter and distribute the chopped onions. Pass for about a couple of minutes over high heat.
2. Put the rice and fry it until transparent.
3. Pour chopped parsley, and pour wine behind it.
4. When the liquid is absorbed, add seafood and some of the water (broth).
5. Simmer rice over low heat, stirring constantly.
6. Add broth as needed.
7. After 20 minutes, add freshly ground white pepper, a little salt and cayenne pepper.
8. Pour shabby cheese and mix well the risotto.

Serve this dish on a warm plate so that the seafood risotto does not lose its flavor.

Cooking with cheese and mushrooms.

Risotto with mushrooms and cheese has a special cream flavor, because a lot of oil is added to the dish.

Ingredients: 350 g of rice, chicken stock - 900 ml, mushrooms - 320 g, fatty oil - 170 g, half a glass of good dry wine, hard cheese - 100 g, medium-sized onion head.

1. Mushrooms cut into neat slices and fry until cooked.
2. In a deep container, melt a stick of oil, pour onion slices and fry until transparent for 5-8 minutes.
3. Put the rest of the oil and cereal, mix. Continue cooking for 3-4 minutes, stirring vigorously.
4. Pour in alcohol and wait until it evaporates. Then add 300 ml of hot broth.
5. When this portion is soaked in rice, gradually add the remaining liquid, not forgetting to stir the dish.
6. Once the cereal is soft, put the mushrooms and sprinkle with grated cheese. Mix well, distributing all the products evenly, and immediately serve.

Vegetarian - with vegetables

For the classic recipe for risotto with vegetables you need to take: a glass of rice, a small onion, carrots, 2 bell peppers, 100 g of string beans, 100 g of canned corn, olive oil - 3-4 tbsp. l., salt, hot water - 500-600 ml, wine - 50 ml, herbs.

1. Pour oil into the stewpan, add onion chopped in half rings and carrot chopped into cubes. Lightly fry.
2. Pour rice and pour wine. Slightly put out so that the grains absorb moisture.
3. Pour 200-350 ml of water into a pan and add beans. Constantly stirring to steam until all moisture is absorbed.
4. Then add a little water and stir.
5. At this time, peppers should be peeled from the core, cut into squares and added to the rest of the ingredients
6. When the rice is cooked, you need to lay out the corn and salt.

Before serving, you can sprinkle the dish with chopped herbs.

Tender dish with minced meat

Ingredients: canned tomatoes - 800 g, oil - 50 g, minced meat - 350 g, a glass of rice, wine - 100 ml, grated Parmesan - 90 g, spinach - a bunch, onion, salt and pepper to taste.

1. Peel the tomatoes and grind in a blender with brine. Transfer to a small container, pour 3 tbsp. water, bring to a boil and reduce heat to a minimum.
2. In a stewpan with a thick base, dissolve the oil, put finely chopped onions and minced meat, add spices. Stir and fry for 5-7 minutes.
3. Pour rice and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
4. Pour in the wine and wait until it is absorbed.
5. Alternately add 2–2.5 cups of tomato mixture and stir. Pour each new portion when the previous one has completely evaporated. If the rice is damp, then add more liquid.

It remains only to pour grated Parmesan, butter and chopped spinach. Stir well and serve.

In a slow cooker

Ingredients: 400 g chopped chicken, 150 g chopped champignons, 2 multi-glasses of rice, 50-60 ml of wine, 35 g of butter, 25 ml of vegetable oil, 1 small onion (chopped), a pinch of salt, a little turmeric, 4.5 multi-glasses of water , 100 g of Parmesan.

1. Set the "Frying" mode. Pour vegetable oil into the bowl and put 1/3 of the cream. Do not close the lid.
2. When the mixture is warm, add the onion. At this and subsequent stages, the products must be stirred so that they do not stick and do not burn.
3. After 3 minutes, put the mushrooms.
4. After another 7 minutes add the chicken.
5. The next 7 minutes will pass - it's time to pour rice. Wait 3-4 minutes.
6. Then you can pour in the wine and wait until it is completely absorbed.
7. After this, it remains only to put salt, turmeric and pour water. Close the lid and set the rice / cereal mode.

After 25 minutes, it’s time to turn off the multicooker, add cheese and the rest of the oil, mix everything and let the dish stand for 5 minutes with the lid closed. During this time, you can manage to set the table and warm the plates.

Pumpkin Recipe

Ingredients: rice - 200 g, pumpkin - 200 g, broth - 1 l, 50 ml of wine, onion - 1 pc., Parmesan - 100-150 g, butter - 50 g, rapeseed oil - 3 tbsp. l., a mixture of peppers, salt, fried bacon.

1. Peel and cut the pumpkin into squares. Finely chop the onion, grate Parmesan, grind the pepper. Cook the broth in advance and heat to 80–90 ° С.
2. In a frying pan with a thick base or a deep pan, pour vegetable oil and put the pumpkin. Fry until golden brown.
3. Add the onion, mix and fry until it is soft.
4. Pour rice and mix again. Wait until the oil is absorbed, pour in the wine and steam the ingredients well until the moisture is absorbed.
5. Then pour the broth over 50-100 ml and stir the risotto constantly. Add the next portion of the liquid when the previous one evaporates.

As soon as the rice is cooked, remove from the stove, add Parmesan, add pepper and salt. Stir well and leave for 2-3 minutes under a closed lid. Serving such an original version of the risotto is better when hot, decorating with slices of rosy bacon.

With corn and peas

Ingredients: rice, canned corn and peas - 150 g each, celery root - 1 pc., Onion - 1 pc., Refined sunflower oil - 2 tbsp. l., salt - ½ tsp., spices (oregano, basil, marjoram) - 1 tsp., prepared broth or water - 300 ml, garlic - 1 clove, grated Parmesan - 20 g.

1. Heat oil in a pan, then add finely chopped onions, garlic and celery.
2. Strain vegetables for 3-4 minutes.
3. Pour rice and fry for another 5 minutes.
4. Add 100 ml of broth and simmer rice until liquid is absorbed.
5. Gradually introduce the remainder of the broth, not forgetting to stir.
6. Add corn and peas, add salt and spices.
7. Stew until rice is cooked. Before serving, crush Parmesan.

With shrimp and salmon

Ingredients: salmon (fillet) - 150 g, peeled shrimp - 20–25 pcs., Rice - 1 tbsp., Garlic - 2-3 cloves, butter - 10 g, olive oil - 50 ml, onions - 1 pc., salt and pepper - to taste, parsley - a bunch, saffron - a pinch, wine - 50 ml, water or broth - 2 tbsp.

1. Cut the fish into small pieces, chop the onion.
2. Put oil and garlic in a pan and fry lightly. After that, remove the garlic. Add onion and fry until golden.
3. Pour rice and pour wine, mix.
4. After 1-2 minutes, you need to add 1.5 cups of hot water or broth.
5. When the liquid has evaporated, pour in the remaining 0.5 cups. Add fish, shrimp, salt and pepper.

Once the rice is cooked completely, it can be crushed with chopped parsley and add saffron. All that remains is to mix the dish well and let it stand under the lid for 1 minute.

Cuttlefish Ink

Ingredients: shallots, rice - 180 g, cuttlefish - 1 pc., Cuttlefish ink - 5 g, olive oil - 50 ml, cherry tomatoes - 50 g, squid rings - 50-60 g, sea salt - to taste, fish broth - 400 ml, wine - 50 ml.

1. Fry finely chopped onions in oil for 2 minutes.
2. Add rice and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Pour in the wine and wait for it to evaporate.
4. Add a glass of hot stock and cuttlefish ink. Cook the rice for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Separately, fry pieces of cuttlefish and combine with rice.
6. Add remaining broth to the pan, add salt, pepper and evaporate moisture.
7. At this time, half the tomatoes and squid rings should be fried.

Serve: put rice on a warm plate, and garnish with tomatoes and squid on top.

How nice to serve the dish to the table

Usually properly cooked risotto and in itself looks very appetizing. Therefore, it can be served simply in a deep or flat plate, preheated in the oven. If desired, rice can be laid out in a special shape so that the edges of the portion are even. If there are no molds, then the dish is tamped in a small bowl, and then turned on a plate.

Top risotto can be decorated with fresh sprigs of herbs, slices of vegetables, meat, seafood or grated cheese.