Risotto - a classic recipe and its delicious variations. Cooking rice in Italian: the most delicious recipes for classic risotto

20,243 views

Rice is one of the few grains that is the national food in most countries of the world. So Italian cuisine did not ignore this miracle product. Risotto is a rice dish cooked in broth. It is common in all regions of the republic, but it is still given greater preference in the north of the country. At home, it is usually served first before the main dish. The huge variety of types of risotto makes it an attractive target for both restaurant and home cooks. Our article is a relaxed guide to the world where rice rules.

The history of risotto is naturally connected with the history of rice in Italy. The cereal was first brought to the country by the Arabs in the Middle Ages. The humidity coming from the Mediterranean Sea was ideal for growing this crop.

The popularity of rice grew, but mainly among the wealthy population due to the exorbitant prices of the product. As soon as mass sales of cereals abroad began, its cost in the republic began to decline quite quickly. This has contributed to its presence in almost every home.

The first recipe for risotto supposedly dates back to 1809, when a young glassblower from Flanders, accustomed to using saffron as a pigment in his craft, added the spice to boiled rice at a wedding celebration.

As a dish with an established recipe, risotto was first mentioned in the book Trattato di cucina (Treatise on Cookery) in 1854. However, the question of who exactly invented the now traditional dish in Italy still remains open.

Rice varieties for cooking

To prepare risotto, round or short grain rice is usually used. Such varieties have the ability to absorb liquid and release starch. Therefore, they are stickier when cooked than long-grain cereals.

The main varieties of rice from which the dish is cooked in Italy are called: A Arborio, Baldo, Carnaroli, Maratelli, Padano, Roma, Vialone Nano.

Carnaroli, Maratelli and Vialone Nano are considered the best and most expensive options. Moreover, the first of them is less likely to be overcooked. And the latter cooks faster and absorbs seasonings better.

Types such as Roma and Baldo will not have the characteristic creamy taste of risotto. They are considered to be better suited for soups and sweet rice desserts.

Varieties by region

Risotto is so versatile that almost every cook can boast of his own masterpiece. But there are varieties whose recipes do not need to be supplemented. They all have traditional names:

Risotto alla milanese is a dish born in. It is prepared in beef broth with beef bone marrow, lard and... Flavored and colored with saffron. We recommend reading the article.
Risotto al Barolo is a Piedmontese version of the dish. Made with the addition of red wine and Borlotti beans.
Risotto al nero di seppia is a dish specific to the region. It contains cuttlefish and its ink, which gives it a jet black color.

Risi e bisi is another representative of Veneto. This spring version of the preparation is more reminiscent of a thick soup and is usually served with a spoon rather than a fork. Young green peas are added to it and seasoned.
Risotto alla zucca is a pumpkin dish with saffron and grated cheese.
Risotto alla pilota is a dish typical of Mantova. It is prepared with pork and...
Risotto ai funghi is a mushroom version of rice. It often contains porcini mushrooms, boletus mushrooms, summer mushrooms or champignons.

In Italy, the term risotto means not so much a rice dish as a special technology for its preparation. Therefore, there are a huge number of its types.

Recipes

It is not possible to list all risotto recipes in one or even several articles. Not only all over the world, but even within the borders of Italy itself, no one will undertake to count their exact number. Therefore, in this article we have selected the most popular options.

Classical

Just as “you can’t take the words out of a song,” it’s impossible to ignore the classics in recipes for national dishes. For risotto, the Milanese version is traditional. This is what we will look at first.

Required ingredients:

Round grain rice – 320 g;
Meat broth – 1l;
Dry white wine – 100 ml;
Beef bone marrow – 30 g;
Butter – 60 g;
Saffron stigmas (16 pcs.) or ground saffron (1 bag);
Onion – ½ piece;
Hard cheese (parmesan, grana padano) – 50 g;
Salt to taste.

It is unlikely that you will find prepared beef bone marrow on sale. But it is found in sufficient quantities in the femur and tibia. It is easily separated from hard tissue using a narrow spoon.

If you do not have the opportunity to purchase any famous Italian hard cheese, then use domestic products (Gouda, Tilsiter, Russian).

So, first of all, we prepare the saffron in case of using stigmas. They need to be filled with 50 ml of hot water and left for 2 hours.
Next, in a frying pan with high sides, melt 30 g of butter and fry finely chopped onion and bone marrow in it. Add rice and fry until the grains become shiny. At this point, add white wine and let it evaporate over high heat.

Add some salt to taste, add hot broth in such an amount that it completely covers the rice. While cooking over medium heat, stir the cereal several times. If necessary, add broth.

A few minutes before readiness, add saffron infusion or powder. Mix thoroughly again.

Remove the pan from the heat and enrich the taste of the risotto with the remaining butter and grated cheese. Let cool for 5 minutes. Your Milanese risotto is ready to serve!

With mushrooms

Mushrooms are one of the most valuable gifts that Mother Earth gives us. There is no better way to enjoy their taste than by making risotto with porcini mushrooms. Its creamy, enveloping taste will not only pamper the family on weekdays, but will also be a wonderful addition to the holiday table.

Ingredients for mushroom risotto:

Round grain rice – 320 g;
Porcini mushrooms – 400 g;
Vegetable broth – 1 l;
Small onion – 1 pc.;
Garlic – 1 clove;
Butter – 30 g (+30 g for serving);
Olive oil – 2 tbsp. spoons;
Salt and ground black pepper to taste;
Hard cheese – 50 g;
Chopped parsley - 2 tbsp. spoons.

In the absence of porcini mushrooms, they are replaced with any available options. But it is worth remembering that only the “kings of the forest kingdom” will impart a bright mushroom aroma and a unique velvety taste to the dish.

First of all, prepare the vegetable broth. Boil coarsely chopped carrots, onions, and celery in about 2 liters of water for 1 hour (you can add a tomato and a pot of pepper). Strain and add salt to taste.

After preparing the broth, we deal with porcini mushrooms. Remove any remaining soil, if any, and wipe with a damp cloth. We wash the very dirty fungus under running water and collect the moisture with a dry towel. Next, cut the boletus lengthwise into slices 7-8 mm thick.

Heat olive oil in a frying pan and lightly fry the chopped garlic clove. Then increase the heat and add the mushrooms. Fry for 10 minutes until golden brown, add salt and pepper. Mushrooms prepared in this way will have a pleasant crunch in the main dish.

Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the onion. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the onions. Simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes, adding a spoonful of broth if necessary. When the onion softens, add the rice and fry for a couple of minutes.

Pour a ladle of broth over the completely coated cereal and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. As it absorbs, add a small amount of liquid. We make sure that there are constant small boiling bubbles. When the rice is almost ready, as the Italians say “al dente,” add the mushrooms and wait another 5-7 minutes. Turn off the heat and add salt to taste.

Finally, season the risotto with grated cheese and the remaining butter, mix well. Before serving, garnish with chopped parsley.

Mushroom risotto is best eaten fresh. You can store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 1-2 days.

With seafood

Seafood risotto is a classic Italian dish that perfectly warms you up on cold days. At first glance, the recipe may seem quite complicated. In fact, it does not require special culinary skills. You just need to choose your seafood carefully. In our version, we used mussels, oysters, shrimp and squid. But the types of seafood can vary according to your taste.

Required ingredients:

Round grain rice – 320 g;
Mussels in shell – 1 kg;
Oysters – 1 kg;
Cleaned squid – 400 g;
Shrimp – 350 g;
Parsley – 1 bunch;
Garlic – 2 cloves;
Dry white wine – 200 ml;
Fish broth – 0.5 l;
Olive oil – 80 ml;
Onion – 1 pc.;
Celery – 1 pc.;
Carrots – 1 pc.;
Chili pepper – 1 pc.;
Salt and ground black pepper to taste.

Preparation of seafood consists of several stages:

We wash the peeled squids under running water and cut them into rings.
Separate the shrimp from their shells.
We wash the mussels under the tap, and soak the oysters in water overnight. Cook the first and second ones in different pans over high heat for 1-2 minutes until their shells open. Strain the broths into one container, and clean the shellfish and set aside until use.

When the preparation is completed, we move on to the main process. Chop carrots, celery, garlic and chili peppers and fry in 40 ml of olive oil. Add squid and pour in 100 ml of white wine. Simmer until soft.

At this time, in another pan, fry the chopped onion in the remaining oil over low heat. When the onion becomes transparent, add rice and mix thoroughly for 3-5 minutes. Add 100 ml of white wine. As soon as the wine is absorbed, we begin to gradually add the shellfish broth and leave to cook.

Add soft squids with shrimp and finely chopped parsley and cook for another 5 minutes. If necessary, add a couple of ladles of broth.

When the rice is almost ready, combine it with a mixture of squid and shrimp, mussels and oysters. Mix thoroughly, season with salt and pepper and turn off the heat. Let the dish rest for a few minutes under the lid. To serve, decorate the seafood risotto with fresh parsley.

With Chiken

Today, chicken meat is the most popular product in its category. Therefore, dishes with it are incredibly popular. We present to your attention a simple recipe for risotto with crispy chicken.

To prepare it you will need:

Round grain rice – 300 g;
Chicken breasts – 400 g;
Vegetable broth – 1 l;
Butter – 30 g;
Hard cheese – 40 g;
Olive oil – 60 g;
Paprika – 10 g;
Black olives – 40 g;
Salt to taste.

In a saucepan, fry the rice in olive oil. When the cereal is completely covered with an oily film, season it with a pinch of salt. Add vegetable broth so that it covers the rice completely. During cooking, add liquid as needed.
While the rice is cooking, make the chicken breast. Cut it into cubes with a side of about 2 cm. Fry in olive oil over high heat for a couple of minutes. We complete the treatment with a six-minute exposure in the oven at 200 degrees.

When the rice is ready, add butter and grated hard cheese. Mix thoroughly for about a minute.

To serve hot risotto, sprinkle with paprika, lay out pieces of chicken and black olives, cut in half. If desired, paprika can be replaced with saffron.

With vegetables

Risotto with vegetables is a healthy and nutritious, and at the same time also a very bright dish. It is simple and quick to prepare. Ideal in the summer. Vegetarians will also appreciate it.

Required components:

Round grain rice – 320 g;
Carrots – 100 g;
Yellow bell pepper (peeled) – 50 g;
Red bell pepper – 50 g;
Eggplants – 100 g;
Zucchini – 100 g;
Green peas – 50 g;
Cherry tomatoes – 150 g;
Celery – 1 pc.;
Onion – 1 pc.;
Butter – 20 g;
Olive oil – 180 ml;
Vegetable broth – 1 l;
Chopped parsley - 2 tbsp. spoons;
Hard cheese (grated) – 4 tbsp. spoons;
White wine – 40 ml;
Sugar – 1 tbsp. spoon;
Salt and black pepper to taste.

All vegetables for preparing risotto must be fresh, not frozen. The only exception is peas. You can make this dish with any seasonal vegetables, depending on your preferences.

First of all, wash and chop the vegetables (except onions). It is necessary that everything be cut into small cubes of the same size (with a side of no more than 1 cm). Cut cherry tomatoes into halves and add a tablespoon of sugar. This will help them lose excess acidity.

Saute the chopped half of the onion in a saucepan with a mixture of oils (10 g butter and 3 tablespoons olive) over very low heat. To prevent it from burning, add a little broth. When the onion becomes transparent (after about 15 minutes), add chopped zucchini, eggplant, half a carrot, peas and bell pepper. Salt, pepper and simmer for 15 minutes. Vegetables should be soft, but not soggy.

In another pan, fry the remaining onion, celery and carrots in olive oil for 10 minutes. Then add rice and fry for a couple more minutes. Pour in white wine. When it has evaporated, add a ladle of broth and cook, stirring occasionally.

After absorbing the liquid, add ready-made vegetables to the rice and add salt and pepper. Pour in the broth again in portions and cook until the cereal is completely cooked. Mix everything with cherry tomatoes and turn off the heat.

While the risotto is still hot, add butter, grated cheese and parsley. Mix everything thoroughly and serve.

Calorie content and benefits

For example, the nutritional value of 100 g of a classic dish is approximately 350 kcal and consists of:

Proteins – 14 g;
Fats – 13 g;
Carbohydrates – 44 g.

This amount of fat is about 40% of the recommended daily intake for a healthy person. In order to reduce lipid content, it is necessary to reduce the proportions of fatty components (butter, cheese, cream).

Despite all its caloric content, a medium-sized serving of risotto contains many valuable nutrients, especially if the dish is prepared with vegetables or seafood. The latter are distinguished by a large percentage of essential proteins and the presence of Omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce inflammatory processes in the body and improve the condition of the cardiovascular system.

Increased dietary fiber (vegetable) weight by using less short grain rice.
Replacing part of the cereal with wild or brown rice, as well as cheese with low-fat cottage cheese, and meat broth with vegetable broth.
Use fresh vegetables when serving the dish. An excellent companion to risotto is lettuce.
Reducing the portion eaten.

If you follow these simple tips, the national dish of Italy can become a traditional healthy dish on your table.

A short article about the giant of Italian cuisine has come to its logical conclusion. Cook with diligence, dare under any circumstances, do not be afraid to fantasize and remember: “The way to the heart of an Italian man lies through a well-prepared risotto!”

↘️🇮🇹 USEFUL ARTICLES AND SITES 🇮🇹↙️ SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS

There are several versions of the origin of risotto. It is not known for certain who and when the recipe was invented. It is generally accepted that risotto originated in northern Italy.

Many restaurants around the world offer a classic risotto recipe with chicken, seafood, vegetables or mushrooms on their menu. The simplicity of the technique and available ingredients allow you to prepare haute cuisine at home.

Risotto looks festive and can decorate not only an everyday dinner table, but also become the highlight of a holiday menu. Risotto can be not only a classic one with chicken, but also a lean, vegan dish with vegetables.

Vialone, carnaroli and arborio are suitable for preparing risotto. These three types of rice contain a lot of starch. It is better to use olive oil during cooking.

The classic and most popular recipe is chicken risotto. In order for the risotto to acquire the desired structure, the rice must be stirred periodically during cooking.

This simple recipe can be prepared every day for lunch or served on a holiday table.

Ingredients:

400 gr. chicken meat;
200 gr. rice;
1 liter of water;
50 gr. parmesan cheese;
2 onions;
1 carrot;
100 gr. celery root;
1 bell pepper;
30 gr. butter;
90 ml dry white wine;
1 tbsp. l. vegetable oil;
saffron;
Bay leaf;
salt;
pepper.

Preparation:

Prepare the broth. Place chicken meat, previously stripped of film, into the water. Add bay leaf, onion, carrots and spices. Cook the broth for 35-40 minutes. Then remove the meat, add salt to the broth and cook for a few minutes under the lid.
Cut the meat into medium pieces.
Pour the broth over the saffron.
In a hot frying pan, combine butter and vegetable oil.
Place finely chopped onion in the pan and fry until translucent, do not fry.
Do not rinse rice before cooking. Pour the cereal into the pan.
Fry the rice until it has absorbed all the oil.
Pour in the wine.
When the wine is absorbed, pour in a cup of broth. Wait until the liquid is completely absorbed. Gradually add the remaining broth to the rice.
After 15 minutes, add the meat to the rice. Strain the saffron through cheesecloth and pour the broth into the rice.
When the rice reaches the desired consistency - hard on the inside and soft on the outside, add salt to taste and add grated cheese. Place small pieces of butter on the surface of the risotto.
Serve the dish hot so that the cheese does not have time to harden.

Risotto with mushrooms and chicken

This is a common way to prepare risotto. The harmonious combination of chicken and mushroom flavors gives the rice a delicate, spicy aroma. The dish can be prepared with any mushrooms and served for lunch or a holiday table.

Ingredients:

300 gr. chicken fillet;
200 gr. mushrooms;
1 cup rice;
4 cups broth;
1-2 tbsp. l. dry white wine;
2 tbsp. l. butter;
1 tbsp. l. vegetable oil;
2 onions;
100-150 gr. parmesan cheese;
salt;
pepper;
parsley.

Preparation:

Melt the butter in a cauldron or deep frying pan.
Cut the mushrooms into small pieces. Cut the fillet into slices or separate it into fibers with your hands.
Fry the mushrooms in a frying pan until golden brown. Add the chicken to the mushrooms and fry for 15 minutes.
Place the chicken and mushrooms in a separate container. Pour vegetable oil into the pan.
Fry the onion in vegetable oil for 5 minutes.
Pour rice into the pan, fry for 5-7 minutes, mix thoroughly.
Add dry wine and salt, simmer until the liquid evaporates.
Pour a cup of broth into the pan. Wait for the liquid to be absorbed.
Continue adding broth little by little.
After 30 minutes of cooking the rice, transfer the meat and mushrooms to the frying pan and mix the ingredients. Sprinkle risotto with grated cheese.
Decorate the finished dish with herbs.

This is a popular recipe for rice with vegetables among lovers of light, vegetarian cuisine. To prepare the lean version, vegetable oil is not used, and lean cheese is added, during the preparation of which no rennet of animal origin was used. For the vegetarian option, vegetable oil and water are used.

Cooking time: 1 hour.

Ingredients:

1.25 liters chicken broth or water;
1.5 cups rice;
2 stalks of celery;
2 tomatoes;
1 sweet pepper;
200 gr. zucchini or zucchini;
200 gr. leek;
dill and parsley;
4 tbsp. l. vegetable oil;
half a glass of grated cheese;
salt;
pepper;
Italian herbs.

Preparation:

Pour over the tomatoes first with boiling water and then with ice water. Remove the skin.
Cut the vegetables into equal-sized cubes.
Place a frying pan on the stove, pour in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil.
Place celery and bell pepper in the pan. Fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the squash or zucchini and sauté.
Place the tomatoes in the pan and simmer with Italian herbs and pepper for 5-7 minutes.
In a second frying pan, saute the leeks for 2-3 minutes. Add rice and fry for 3-4 minutes.
Pour 1 cup of broth over the rice. Cook over low heat, stirring. When the liquid has evaporated, add another half cup of broth. Repeat the process 2 times.
Add stewed vegetables to the rice, pour in the last portion of broth, add salt to taste, add pepper and simmer until the liquid is completely absorbed.
Chop the greens.
Grate the cheese.
Sprinkle hot risotto with herbs and cheese.

The classic risotto recipe is one of the most popular dishes in Italy, which has become widely known throughout the world. Despite the clear sequence of steps and the unchanged key components, there are a lot of variations in risotto. Therefore, everyone can choose a recipe to suit their taste.

The first written mentions of this dish date back to the 16th century, when about a thousand risotto recipes were found in the book of the famous cook Bartolomeo Scappi. And the world owes the appearance of such an unusual method of cooking rice to a forgetful cook. He was preparing ordinary rice soup with meat broth and went away for a while. When I returned, the broth had boiled away, and the rice acquired a pleasant taste. The dish was later improved by adding wine, cheese and spices.

Classic recipe with white wine

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

Oil for frying should be creamy, but it is also acceptable to use vegetable oil: olive, pumpkin, sunflower. The wine is up to you, but Pinot Grigio is usually recommended.

Particular attention should be paid to the broth. It should be very hot, almost boiling. Traditionally, they use beef, but depending on the filling, they use broth with chicken, vegetables, fish, or just add warm water. When it comes to cheese, Parmesan is traditionally used. Then there is no need to add salt to the rice.

So, the ingredients for classic risotto: 1 onion, butter cube - 30 g; rice above the above mentioned varieties – 350 g; wine – 400 ml; ready broth – 1 l.

Dissolve a piece of butter in a thick-walled bowl, then fry the finely chopped onion until light.
Place the rice and wait until it absorbs the oil and loses its whitish color.
Pour out the alcohol and cook the rice until the moisture has almost completely evaporated.
Add 300–350 ml of hot broth and continue to simmer, remembering to stir.
When the moisture has evaporated, start adding broth a tablespoon at a time so that the rice absorbs the liquid little by little. This step will take 20 to 30 minutes.
Check the readiness of the cereal and throw a piece of butter into it.

Before serving, place the dish on a plate and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Cooking option with chicken

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

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

Pour about a liter of water into the pan, add a little salt. Add chicken meat and diced carrots and celery. Bring to a boil and cook over low heat for 20 minutes.
After this, remove the meat and cool, and put the broth on very low heat.
Pour oil into a deep saucepan. When it is hot, throw in the garlic crushed with a knife, lightly fry until golden brown and remove.
Remove the peel from the onion, chop it finely and throw it into boiling oil. Cook until golden brown. Season with spices.
Add the rice and fry, stirring until it becomes translucent and pearly in color.
Add wine, continuing to stir.
As soon as the liquid is almost completely absorbed, you need to add 2 ladles of broth along with the vegetables.
Add the broth into the saucepan a little at a time and stir until the cereal is cooked (about 20–23 minutes).
In the meantime, cut the chicken into cubes and grate the cheese.

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

Italian risotto with seafood

For this option you will need: seafood mixture “sea cocktail”, onion – 1 pc.; 160–190 ml of broth or clean filtered water, 70–80 ml of good dry wine, 80 g of rice, a little parsley, if desired, a mix of peppers, salt and cayenne pepper.

Heat the oil and distribute the finely chopped onion. Saute for about a couple of minutes over high heat.
Add rice and fry until translucent.
Add chopped parsley, followed by wine.
When the liquid is absorbed, add seafood and part of the water (broth).
Simmer the rice over low heat, stirring constantly.
Add broth as needed.
After 20 minutes, add freshly ground white pepper, a little salt and cayenne pepper.
Add the grated cheese and mix the risotto well.

This dish should be served 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 creamy flavor because a lot of butter is added to the dish.

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

Cut the mushrooms into neat slices and fry until cooked.
Melt a stick of butter in a deep container, add onion pieces and fry until translucent for 5-8 minutes.
Add the rest of the butter and cereal and mix. Continue cooking for 3-4 minutes, stirring vigorously.
Pour in the alcohol and wait until it evaporates. After this, add 300 ml of hot broth.
When this portion is absorbed by the rice, gradually add the remaining liquid, remembering to stir the dish.
As soon as the cereal becomes soft, add champignons and sprinkle with grated cheese. Mix well, distributing all the ingredients evenly, and serve immediately.

Vegetarian – with vegetables

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

Pour oil into a saucepan, add onion cut into half rings and diced carrots. Lightly fry.
Add rice and pour wine. Simmer lightly so that the grains absorb moisture.
Pour 200–350 ml of water into the pan and add the beans. Steam, stirring constantly, until all the moisture is absorbed.
Then add water little by little and stir.
At this time, core the pepper, cut into squares and add to the rest of the ingredients.
When the rice is cooked, add the corn and salt.

Before serving, the dish can be sprinkled 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.

Peel the tomatoes and grind in a blender along with the brine. Transfer to a small container, pour 3 tbsp. water, bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.
Dissolve the butter in a thick saucepan, add finely chopped onion and minced meat, add spices. Stir and fry for 5-7 minutes.
Add rice and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
Pour in the wine and wait until it is absorbed.
Add 2-2.5 cups of tomato mixture one at a time and stir. Pour in each new portion when the previous one has completely evaporated. If the rice is damp, add more liquid.

All that remains is to add grated Parmesan, butter and chopped spinach. Mix well and serve.

In a slow cooker

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

Set the “Frying” mode. Pour vegetable oil into a bowl and add 1/3 teaspoon of butter. Do not close the lid.
When the mixture is hot, add the onion. At this and subsequent stages, the products must be stirred so that they do not stick or burn.
After 3 minutes add mushrooms.
After another 7 minutes, add the chicken.
Another 7 minutes will pass - it’s time to add rice. Wait 3–4 minutes.
Then you can pour in the wine and wait until it is completely absorbed.
After that, all that remains is to add salt, turmeric and water. Close the lid and set the “rice/cereals” mode.

After 25 minutes, it’s time to turn off the multicooker, add the cheese and the rest of the butter, mix everything and let the dish sit for 5 minutes with the lid on. During this time, you can have time to set the table and warm up the plates.

Recipe with added pumpkin

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

Peel the pumpkin and cut into squares. Finely chop the onion, grate the Parmesan, grind the pepper. Cook the broth in advance and heat to 80–90°C.
Pour vegetable oil into a frying pan with a thick base or a deep saucepan and place the pumpkin. Fry until golden brown.
Add onion, stir and cook until soft.
Add rice and stir again. Wait until the oil is absorbed, pour in the wine and steam the ingredients well until the moisture is absorbed.
Then pour in the broth, 50–100 ml at a time, and constantly stir the risotto. Add the next portion of liquid when the previous one evaporates.

As soon as the rice is cooked, remove from the heat, add Parmesan, add pepper and salt. Stir well and leave for 2-3 minutes with the lid closed. This original version of risotto is best served hot, garnished with slices of golden brown 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, ready-made broth or water – 300 ml, garlic – 1 clove, grated Parmesan – 20 g.

Heat the oil in a frying pan, then add finely chopped onion, garlic and celery.
Sauté vegetables for 3-4 minutes.
Add rice and fry for another 5 minutes.
Add 100 ml of broth and simmer the rice until the liquid is absorbed.
Gradually add the rest of the broth, remembering to stir.
Add corn and peas, add salt and spices.
Simmer until the rice is completely cooked. Before serving, sprinkle with 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, onion – 1 pc., salt and pepper - to taste, parsley - a bunch, saffron - a pinch, wine - 50 ml, water or broth - 2 tbsp.

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

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

With cuttlefish ink

Ingredients: shallots, rice – 180 g, cuttlefish – 1 piece, 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.

Fry finely chopped onion in oil for 2 minutes.
Add rice and simmer for 5 minutes.
Pour in the wine and wait for it to evaporate.
Add a glass of hot broth and cuttlefish ink. Cook rice for 10–12 minutes, stirring.
Separately fry the cuttlefish pieces and combine with rice.
Add the remaining broth to the pan, add salt and pepper and evaporate the moisture.
At this time, fry the tomato halves and squid rings.

Serve: Place rice on a warm plate and top with tomatoes and squid.

How to beautifully serve a dish to the table

Usually properly prepared risotto looks very appetizing in itself. Therefore, you can simply serve it in a deep or flat plate, preheated in the oven. If desired, the rice can be placed in a special form so that the edges of the portion are even. If there are no molds, then the dish is compacted into a small bowl and then turned over onto a plate.

On top of the risotto you can decorate with fresh sprigs of herbs, pieces of vegetables, meat, seafood or grated cheese.

There are hundreds of risotto recipes, some simple and some incredibly complex. But it’s better to learn how to cook risotto using the simplest and most classic recipe as an example.

So we're getting ready Milanese risotto.

We will need broth, rice, cheese, dry white wine, butter, onions and natural saffron.

First the broth

Risotto cooks in 17 minutes. No more and no less, you can check your watch. But this is only if you prepared everything else in advance, especially the broth - preparing it requires time, calm and very high-quality ingredients.

The idea of broth is the basis of regular cuisine, any, French, Italian, or Russian - decent cabbage soup cannot be made without decent broth.

Broth for risotto

The best broth for risotto is chicken. It should be cooked in a large saucepan and preferably from a special soup chicken. You also need good drinking water and a minimum set of vegetables and seasonings - onions and carrots, black peppercorns, a pinch of salt. To this you can add stalked celery, parsley root, the green part of the leek, fresh green peas in pods, white peppercorns, juniper, and a strip of lemon zest. While preparing the broth, you can also add a little dry white wine. And, of course, a bouquet garni, compiled according to the season. Preparing the broth takes at least 2 hours, so it makes sense to prepare it in advance and store it in the freezer in ice bags.

Which chicken to choose
Chicken for soup is sold at any decent market. If you decide to fry or stew it, make sure that the finished meat is unsuitable. But the broth from such a bird is what you need. During cooking, the soup chicken gives up all its best and is no longer suitable for anything else. If you want to save money without losing quality, cook the remaining 3-4 chicken remains after cutting off the attractive parts.

Water for risotto is important. Actually, she is the broth. Don't waste your time and buy a canister of good drinking water.

Salt. It must be added very little at a time, the broth must remain generally unsalted, otherwise it will be difficult to properly salt the dish. It is better to take sea salt, it tastes better than regular salt.

Bouquet garni- just sprigs of seasonal spicy herbs tied with cotton thread in a bay leaf. The thread can be tied to the handle of the pan, and at the right time, removed in one motion.

The simplest, “small” bouquet garni is 3 sprigs of parsley, 3 sprigs of thyme, 1 sprig of celery and 1 bay leaf. For seafood risotto, you can add a sprig of dill, and for chicken risotto - 3-4 tarragon leaves.

Vegetables and roots. Must be clean and not limp.

How to cook broth for risotto?

Wash the chicken thoroughly, chop it into pieces, put it in a saucepan and cover with cold water with a pinch of salt. Chicken frames can be placed in a very hot oven for 5 minutes, then placed in a pan and filled with water. The resulting broth will have a richer taste and golden color. Lightly crush the peppercorns with the flat of a knife blade. Cut the carrots and onions in half and place in a dry frying pan preheated over medium heat. Cook until charred. Place the pan over high heat. As soon as it boils and foam appears, reduce the heat and carefully remove the foam with a slotted spoon. When the foam stops, add vegetables and spices to the pan. Cover with a lid and cook with a slight bubbling sound for about 2 hours. In 30 min. until ready, pour in the dry wine, if using, lower the bouquet garni into the broth in the last three minutes. Remove when broth is ready. Strain the finished broth through a sieve, pour into a clean saucepan and cool. Refrigerate for 1 hour and carefully skim off any congealed fat.

Rice for risotto

Rice for risotto Not everyone is suitable, but only three varieties: arborio, carnaroli and vialone nano. In addition to the fact that the varieties are Italian, they have one more thing in common - they contain two types of starch. The one on the surface of the rice grain is called “amylopectin”, and the one on the inside is called “amylose”. Amylopectin is soft and mixes quickly with water to create a creamy and runny texture. Amylose allows you to cook rice to an “al dente” state, which literally means “to the tooth” - this is when the completely cooked rice grain remains a little hard in the very center. God forbid you wash such rice!!!

When buying risotto rice, pay attention to the packaging and the amount of cracked or broken grains. Reputable manufacturers often even vacuum-pack in a double layer of polyethylene; the result is a kind of brick, resistant to most blows of fate. Italians sometimes label rice simply as “rice for risotto”, without specifying the variety - with a 90% probability there will be arborio inside the pack. In addition to these, there are many varieties of rice in the world that are suitable for making risotto.

Cheese for risotto

Cheese for risotto it takes a little, but it has to be good.

The main requirement is that the cheese must belong to the small “grana” family of cheeses. There are only three such cheeses: Parmigiano Reggiano, also called Parmesan, Grana Padano and the very rare Trentingrana. But experiments are also possible. It is important to remember that risotto is primarily a rice dish, and cheese should only accompany its taste, and not conduct it. Italians, as a rule, do not use cheese in risotto with seafood or fish.

Wine for risotto

To prepare a large pan of risotto, you need about half a glass of dry white wine. There are actually two requirements for it - it must be dry and inexpensive.

Oil for risotto

Good creamy oil for risotto no less important than cheese. Because it is what transforms the creamy consistency of risotto from a figure of speech into reality. Risotto is a dish of the Italian North, where there were never olive trees. Only cows.

Onions for risotto

Use white or yellow onions for risotto. Don't be too economical - the base of the onion must be cut mercilessly so that only the juicy onion pulp gets into the risotto. It should be chopped very, very, very finely, because there is nothing worse than a ridiculously large piece of onion in the delicate texture of this dish.

Saffron for risotto

One of the most expensive spices in the world, 1 gram costs more than $10. You should buy factory-packed saffron, preferably not ground. The idea of going to the nearest market and buying half a glass of saffron is, believe me, a bad idea. One gram is enough for 40 servings of risotto. Take a couple of pinches of saffron, put it in a glass and pour hot broth over it. Leave on for half an hour. The resulting orange infusion is exactly what you need.

How to cook risotto

First, place a saucepan of broth over low heat until it simmers gently.

The first stage - preparing the soffritto - base for rice and everything else. You heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onion - as well as other vegetables used - and fry the whole thing over medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent, but by no means browned. Remember, it should lose color, not change it.

The second stage is called "tostatura". You pour the rice into the pan - in one quick circular motion, stir it with the onion and oil and cook for about 30 seconds. Ideally, all the rice should be soaked in oil so that the outside of the rice darkens, but the core remains white. When this happens, you need to pour in the wine, stir and continue cooking, stirring continuously, until the smell of alcohol disappears - or until all the liquid is absorbed.

Step three - adding broth to risotto. Once the rice has absorbed the wine, start adding the hot broth. Take a ladle, scoop out the broth and pour it in a quick circular motion into the pan with the rice. Take a large, preferably a wooden spoon or spatula and use it to stir the broth and rice. After about thirty seconds, repeat stirring. Repeat in this manner until almost all the liquid has been absorbed into the rice. Pour in a ladle of broth again and start stirring again. As a result of this constant stirring of rice with boiling broth, the outer starch is separated from the rice grains.

When the rice is about half cooked and about half of the broth remains, add the main ingredient to the risotto. In the case of Milanese risotto - just that same glass of broth with saffron. Then continue adding broth and stirring. In other recipes it could be mushrooms, seafood, etc. After 17 minutes of stirring and topping up, remove the pan from the heat and leave completely alone for exactly 1 minute. After this, it will be time for the last stage, called "mantecatura", when cold butter, cut into small cubes, and finely grated cheese are added to the risotto, and the entire resulting mass is quickly kneaded until completely homogeneous. The risotto is then placed on warm plates and served instantly.

Unanswered questions

Two questions remain unclear: What is the correct ratio of rice to broth? and when should risotto be seasoned?

Here are the answers.

Ideal Rice to Broth Ratio- for every 100 grams of rice you need to take 500 ml of broth. It should also be borne in mind that it is best to prepare risotto from 400 grams of rice and 2 liters of broth, which is 4 large servings or 6 small ones; This amount will fit in a large frying pan. It is almost impossible to cook 1 serving of risotto (you will have to chase the rice around the frying pan, which will try to burn every minute) and very difficult - 10 servings at a time (in this case, cooking will be more like rowing). If you need to make more than 4 servings of risotto, just use another pan.

Season risotto with salt and pepper First of all, you need to be very careful, since the cheese used in the preparation already contains a significant amount of salt, which, in principle, may be quite enough - for example, if the cheese is very aged. However, after finishing the mantecatura, you should taste the risotto - if the result seems like it needs more salt and pepper, add them, quickly stir again and serve the risotto.