Risotto – Core Recipe

Jump to Recipe

The ultimate creamy, buttery, comfort food. Delicious on its own, a perfect accompaniment with a salad, grilled meats, fish or even a casserole. A wonderful base dish ideally suited to adding further ingredients to make a range of delicious risottos. There are many different risotto recipes, many classic Italian dishes but also a range of new ideas around on the web. With a little imagination you will be able to create your own favourites using this recipe as your base.

Typically a risotto is made on the stove. After sautéing some onion and garlic, you add the rice, coat in the butter (or oil) you fried the onion in, add some wine and reduce. You then slowly add hot stock, stirring continuously. As one ladleful is absorbed, you add another ladleful. You continue to do this, whilst stirring, until the stock has been absorbed, the rice has cooked and you achieve the consistency you like. The stirring is very important as this helps to release the starch on the rice and this in turn will give you a much creamier risotto. Safe to say this is an important part of the process.

However, standing by the stove for 20 minutes continuously stirring anything is not my idea of fun or a good use of time. I always cook my risotto in the oven, giving me plenty of time to prepare a salad and/or vegetables or even make a quick pudding and lay the table. Follow my instructions below and you will have creamy risotto on the table with only 10 minutes prep time, less than 5 minutes stirring, 15 – 20 minutes in the oven and 2 -3 minutes resting out of the oven before you serve. Definitely time for a glass of wine whilst you wait!

• 

• 

Look at that cheeky Welsh girl from times gone by, on the tea towel covering the hot handle of the pan. I didn’t wrap it like that deliberately but it made me laugh when I noticed!

A variety of recipes based on Risotto – Core Recipe

Keep an eye out for these dishes:

Dishes already posted:

• Chicken Risotto with Crispy Sage and Prosciutto
• Lobster Risotto
• Prawn Risotto
• Oven-Baked Fillet of Cod with Green Pea and Horseradish Risotto, drizzled in a Nutty Brown Butter
• Risotto alla Milanese

Dishes I plan to post:

• Chicken Risotto with Dill, Lemon and Oregano
• Seafood Risotto with Prawns, Monkfish, Squid and Mussels
• Smoked Salmon Risotto with Dill and Lemon
• Summer Roast Chicken Risotto with Parsley 
• Christmas Turkey Risotto with Brussels Sprouts, Sage Leaves, Brie and Cranberry Sauce
• Mushroom Risotto with Fresh Thyme
• Lemon and Basil Risotto with Roast Mediterranean Vegetables and Burrata
• Risotto Primavera

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

How to make Risotto – Core Recipe

Collect all your ingredients together:

• unsalted butter
• olive oil
• banana shallots or onion
• garlic
• Arborio rice 
• freshly ground black pepper
• salt
• dry white wine
• good quality vegetable, fish or chicken stock 
• fresh herbs such a a bay leaf and/or a sprig of thyme or rosemary
• fresh cream
• parmesan cheese

Make the risotto:

1. melt the butter and olive oil over a medium high heat
2. cook the shallots/onions until translucent and very slightly caramelised – around 5 minutes
3. add the garlic to the onions (also shown here is shredded sage from my Chicken and Sage Risotto with Prosciutto) and cook for a further minute
4. next add the rice and seasoning. Stir well ensuring all the rice grains are covered in the butter/oil
5. pour in the wine and continue to cook to reduce the wine. Stir continuously as it reduces until it has almost disappeared
6. pour in all bar 200ml of the stock
7. bring to a simmer stirring continuously and enthusiastically
8. as soon as it comes to the boil, add the bayleaf or thyme, cover and pop into a preheated over for 10 minutes
9. after 10 minutes take it out of the oven and stir well
10. add the cheese, butter and cream and stir again to incorporate. Add some or all of the remaining stock if necessary
11. if adding more stock, make sure it is hot, if not, bring the risotto back to the boil before putting back in the oven
12. taste and adjust seasoning – it may need a little more salt. Cover again and put back in the oven for a further 5 – 10 minutes. Remove, cover and leave to sit for 2 – 3 minutes.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Serve immediately.

Risottos continue to cook after you take them out of the oven, if you leave it for too long you may find your perfectly cooked risotto has become overcooked. If you find that too much liquid has been absorbed while you wait, simply add a drop more hot stock or cream to achieve the consistency you desire.

So what is perfectly cooked?

To me, that is having the rice only very slightly al dente and the overall dish quite soft and saucy. My husband prefers the rice to be softer and less sauce! We’re both right! Make it as you like to eat it and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! The timings I have given, give me a risotto I like, in my oven, in my pan and with the rice I buy. However, ovens vary and rice varies so you may find you want to cook yours for slightly more or less time. When you make the perfect risotto for you, make a note of your timings and when repeating it, remember to use the same or similar pan and buy the same rice. A large low sided pan will cook differently from a smaller taller pan. It sounds fiddly but I promise you it is not, just be a little patient and work out what works for you!

• 

• 

Made this recipe?

If you make this recipe, do please tag me on instagram @daffodil_kitchen. You could also leave a comment in the box directly below the recipe.