The amazing velvety taste and delicate texture of a rice dish cooked truly in Italian - this is what the chefs offer us, sharing their cooking secrets and recipes for classic risotto. This article will tell you about the best traditional versions of the dish.

A little history

There are many legends and speculations regarding in which city, how and when risotto was first prepared, which has captivated all the world's gourmets. His is considered to be a native Italian dish, but historians claim that the roots come from Arab cuisine and date back to the 11th-12th centuries.

Today it is difficult to get to the bottom of the truth, but if you adhere to the opinion of the majority of culinary specialists, then the first variation of the dish arose completely by accident... An allegedly forgetful cook put rice soup on the stove, and having been distracted for a while, he did not notice how all the water had boiled away, and the vegetables were filled with the aroma of spices and vegetables.

Over time, in 1570, the famous culinary guru Bartolomeo Scappi wrote down more than 1000 original recipes for making risotto in his cookbook!

The history of the popular yellow risotto is no less interesting. A Milanese legend says that the apprentice painting the Duomo always added saffron to his paints. At the wedding of his master's daughter, he played a prank on the guests and added saffron to the rice dish.

All those present were at first frightened by the unnatural color of the rice, but after trying it, they came to the conclusion that this the most delicious thing they've ever tasted.

Selecting Tools and Ingredients

This dish is quite difficult to prepare even for masters who know a lot about their craft. For cooking A heavy cast iron skillet is best, a container for decoction of vegetable broth and a ceramic spatula for stirring all ingredients.

Cast iron heats up perfectly and gives off heat well, allowing rice not just to fry, but to simmer without releasing its beneficial substances and charming aroma.

As you can see, no special tools required. In most cases, what you need is found in the kitchen of a modern housewife.

The main ingredient of any risotto is rice. The secrets of his choice are simple. Perfect round grain variety rich in starch, since it is this that contributes to the velvety texture of the dish.

It is worth paying attention to the varieties Vialone Nano, Arborio or Carnaroli This is the perfect rice for risotto. If they are not available, any other round grain rice will do just fine.

Options

There are thousands of variations of this dish, and each of them requires its own special ingredients. Let's consider the most popular recipes that have found recognition in all countries of the world and won the hearts of culinary masters.

With seafood - “Marinara”

This dish requires the following ingredients to prepare:

• rice 100g;
• extra virgin olive oil 20g;
• squid 50 gr.;
• boiled octopus 50 gr.;
• mussels 120 gr.;
• sea ​​cockerels 100 gr.;
• fish broth;
• selected shrimp (headless) 13-15 pieces;
• tomato sauce 15g;
• dry white wine 40 ml;
• parsley;
• salt and pepper to taste.

To start fry until golden brown all available seafood along with herbs in heated olive oil. Add rice and sauté over low heat for two minutes.

After pour in the wine and wait until it evaporates. Pour in the fish broth little by little and then add the tomato sauce.

The rice is brought to full readiness, and then laid out on a plate and generously decorated with any seafood and herbs. Shrimp or clams are the best garnish for marinara.

How to cook risotto at home with seafood (shrimp, mussels, squid) in cream sauce - watch the recipe in the video:

With cheese and mushrooms

According to the recipe for another popular version of risotto - with cheese and porcini mushrooms or champignons - You will need the following ingredients (for 1 serving):

• rice 100g;
• onion 15g;
• parmesan 30 gr.;
• extra virgin olive oil 20g;
• butter 10g;
• a little mushroom broth;
• mushrooms 100g. (white ones are best, but champignons or chanterelles will also work);
• a bunch of parsley;
• a few tablespoons of cognac;
• salt and pepper to taste.

First, fry the mushrooms in hot olive oil, add the onions, and after a few minutes add the rice itself. Sauteing all ingredients should take no more than 3-4 minutes.

After removing from heat, sprinkle the dish with grated cheese and add a piece of butter. Place the mushroom risotto beautifully on a plate and garnish with finely chopped herbs.

How to properly prepare a delicious risotto with mushrooms and cheese at home according to another recipe - watch the video:

Find out also the most popular ones: you will have something to please your guests!

You will find recipes for making delicious lasagna in this one.

Do you know how to make Italian cheese yourself? Find out how to do this with this recipe for making mozzarella at home:

With minced meat

For this dish you will need:

• rice 130 g (preferably arborio);
• red onion 1 pc.;
• bell pepper (multi-colored, half red and half green);
• minced beef 350 gr.;
• 1 large carrot;
• 1 tsp tomato paste + 1 tomato;
• butter and olive oil for frying;
• grated parmesan to taste;
• chicken broth 500-600 ml;
• salt and pepper.

You can complement the dish with a small amount of dry red wine.

Cut the vegetables into small cubes, pour them into a preheated frying pan and fry over low heat for no more than 3-4 minutes. After a golden crust appears, add the minced meat to the vegetables and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Then add chicken broth. After the broth has evaporated, pour in a little wine and let it evaporate. Add tomato sauce, pepper and salt to taste. Everything should cook together in about 10 minutes., and then feel free to add rice and cook until al dente.

After removing the dish from the heat, sprinkle everything with Parmesan and fresh herbs, add butter and serve.

Other recipes on video

in this subsection you will find the most delicious video recipes for vegetable, mushroom and even apple risotto.

With chicken and mushrooms

Learn how to prepare classic risotto with chicken and mushrooms from this video recipe:

With vegetables (vegetarian)

A classic recipe for making risotto with vegetables at home is presented in this video:

With pumpkin

Find out how to make pumpkin risotto:

Apple

How to make risotto with apples for dessert - see here:

Surely you have tried the popular Italian dessert - ? Find out how to make this delicious cake at home!

How to serve it correctly?

The most popular way to serve risotto, which can be found in all restaurants, is to spread it small round mound on a plate and decoration with Parmesan, herbs, etc.

This is a very satisfying dish, especially when it comes to risotto with seafood, meat, and mushrooms. That's why serve it in small portions, carefully placing it on a large round plate.

To prevent the “slide” from falling apart, use special split molds for serving(they can be replaced with small deep bowls or bowls), where the dish is initially placed, and then placed on a plate and the mold is carefully removed. After this, all that remains is to correct the edges and decorate the culinary masterpiece.

To make risotto look more appetizing, in addition to decorating with grated Parmesan and herbs, you can use fried slices of mushrooms, clams or mussels.

Remember that risotto should be served immediately after it is cooked. This dish is not served cold!

Best to use parmesan cheese or grana padano, but if this is not available at hand, then the choice must be made on hard varieties of cheese, for example emmental;

After cooking you should add a little butter to the dish which will make it more appetizing and juicy.

By following these simple tips, you will prepare an unusually tasty dish at home. And you shouldn’t rush: risotto can't be rushed! Don't try to "rush" it by turning up the heat under the frying pan. Only strict adherence to all stages of preparation will give the desired result.

In contact with

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.

Risotto is one of the traditional dishes of Italian cuisine. In terms of its culinary significance, it stands on a par with other gastronomic heritage of this country - pizza, pasta, lasagna. Mentions of this dish date back to the 16th century, and today there are hundreds of cooking methods. But they all retain the basic cooking scheme, which distinguishes them from other rice dishes.

History of appearance

Today, cooking risotto at home in European countries is quite common. But this was not always the case, because this dish is relatively young. There are several legends about how this dish appeared. The most common and plausible of them is the story of the absent-minded cook. He was preparing rice soup for the reception, but got distracted and all the water boiled away. Worried that he would simply have to throw the dish away, he looked under the lid and was surprised to find tender, creamy rice with meat and vegetables in the pan. He served the dish in this form and surprised all the guests with its unusual taste. So, thanks to the absent-mindedness of the cook, we cook it at home and eat it in restaurants.

What is Risotto?

Risotto cannot be compared with porridge, rice soufflé, or pilaf - this dish has a completely different cooking principle. Whatever additional ingredients are included in the recipe, combine them together in a clear sequence. Rice is always first fried in oil, most often with onions. Then broth or water is added into it, portionwise. Each new portion is introduced when the previous one is completely absorbed by the grains. When most of the liquid has been used, additional ingredients are added to the rice: meat, vegetables, seafood, fruits, etc. Then the liquid chosen for the recipe is added again. As a result, if you follow the technology correctly, you should get a delicate, slightly creamy consistency and a rich, stewed taste.

How to cook Risotto correctly

Having found out what kind of dish this is, we move on to the secrets of its preparation. The most important thing is the right choice of rice. Only a few varieties are suitable for this dish. In our stores, the only suitable ones you can find are arborio, but in general, carnaroli and vialone nano are also suitable for cooking. The main feature of these varieties is the two types of starch included in their composition. The first, external, gives the rice softness and creaminess. The second is contained in the core of the grain and does not collapse even under prolonged exposure to high temperatures. Thanks to this, the hard core is preserved in each grain and the rice does not turn into a banal mush.

Another important criterion for how to cook Risotto at home correctly is the broth. You can use meat, fish and vegetables, but the most traditional option is chicken. If you want to get a beautiful and tasty dish, put the chicken soup set in the oven for five minutes. This way the taste will be more intense and the color will be golden. Choose well-purified water for broth. Don't forget about herbs and spices: celery, parsley, basil, thyme, rosemary and savory will come in handy. It is better to crush the peppercorns with a knife before adding them. You can also add onions, carrots, pea pods, and leeks to the broth.

A mandatory component of most cooking recipes is cheese. Traditionally, hard Parmesan is used, but other hard varieties can be used.

It is better to use butter for the dish, because this dish comes from those areas of Italy where olives were not grown. However, modern methods of making Risotto at home also allow the use of olive oil.

Wine is a separate point in the conversation about what risotto is and how to prepare it. The traditional option is dry white wine. But you can experiment by using semi-sweet and even dessert.

A few secrets of how to cook risotto at home

• Never use poor quality products. Don't skimp on cheese. And you definitely shouldn’t use wine for this dish that you wouldn’t drink because of its excessive acidity.
• The broth can be prepared in advance - this will significantly save time on preparing the dish.
• It is better not to take red onions.
• While adding broth to the pan, stir the rice constantly. It is very important!
• Never rinse rice before cooking. Otherwise, you will not be able to achieve a creamy consistency.
• Be careful with salt and pepper. Cheese, which is added to the dish at the very end, usually has a spicy and salty taste. This must be taken into account so as not to be spoiled by excessive saltiness.
• Don't be afraid to experiment. Risotto is a dish that gratefully accepts various changes in composition. Today try a simple recipe for Chicken Risotto, tomorrow add milk and berries to the rice, the day after tomorrow add soft cheese and sparkling wine. This way you will get a new taste every time and will be able to surprise your guests and loved ones with culinary innovations.

Cooking recipes:

Having figured out how to make Risotto delicious, let's move on to recipes. There are several hundred of them, as we have already indicated. We have chosen the most interesting ones.

Risotto with champignons

Grocery list:

• 1.5 l chicken broth
• 400g arborio rice
• 120 ml wine (preferably dry white)
• 150g champignons
• 120g parmesan
• 30g butter
• 1 onion
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• Salt, spices

Preparation progress:

Heat the broth well, almost bringing it to a boil. Chop the onion as finely as possible; its pieces should not disturb the creamy consistency of the dish. But the mushrooms can be cut larger. Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan. Add onion. Fry over low heat until soft. The color of the onion should remain the same; in this case, we are not achieving a golden crust. Add dry rice to the pan with the onions and stir. Fry for a minute. Pour in the wine quickly so that it immediately covers all the rice. Simmer until the liquid is completely absorbed. Add hot broth (1 ladle). Stir constantly. After the liquid is completely absorbed, continue to gradually introduce the broth. When half of the broth remains, add the mushrooms and continue adding the broth. At the end of cooking, add cheese and butter. Stir. Serve immediately.

How to cook risotto with pumpkin

Grocery list:

• 400g arborio rice
• 1.5 kg pumpkin
• 2 onions
• 200g bacon
• 150g parmesan
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1.5 l broth
• Olive oil
• Spices

Preparation progress:

Preheat the oven. Peel the pumpkin and cut into small pieces. Rub with spices. Bake in the oven until soft. Puree. Chop the onion, garlic and bacon. Fry the onion in a frying pan until soft, add bacon and garlic, add salt and spices. Add rice and fry for a few more minutes. Start adding the broth gradually. At the end, add pumpkin puree to the dish and simmer a little more. Finally, remove from heat and add grated cheese.

Risotto with berries

List of ingredients:

• 150 ml cream
• 25 g butter
• 200g arborio rice
• 500ml milk
• 250g berries
• Sugar
• Cinnamon

Preparation progress:

Take a saucepan and melt all the butter in it. Add dry rice and simmer for two minutes. Mix milk and cream separately and put on fire. Bring to a boil. Gradually add this creamy milk mixture into the pan with the toasted rice grains, stirring constantly. Add sugar. At the end, add half the berries and cinnamon, simmer for a few minutes. Serve warm with remaining fresh berries.

Risotto with squid

Grocery list:

• 500g arborio rice
• 300g fresh squid
• 200ml cream
• 2 tbsp. wine vinegar
• 500 ml fish stock
• Leek
• Garlic
• Parsley
• Lemon juice
• Saffron

Preparation progress:

Heat up the broth. Fry the leek and garlic in a frying pan. They must retain their color. Next, send the squid there. In a separate pan, fry dry rice. You need to achieve a slight “glass” effect. Pour diluted wine vinegar into it. Next, gradually, one ladle at a time, add fish broth to the rice. Stir constantly! At the end, add squid with onions, pour in cream with saffron, add herbs. Simmer for a few more minutes. Season with lemon juice and serve!

Classic risotto is the hallmark of the Italian culinary world. Already in the 16th century, about 1000 recipes for the famous dish were known. It is prepared with chicken, seafood, mainly shrimp, cheese, meat, and vegetables.

The history of the origin of the dish is covered in legends, some of which are not very credible. The most reliable, in my opinion, is the version about the forgetful cook. The klutz's rice soup boiled over. In order not to get caught, the cook served it to the table, passing it off as a new dish. The new dish was approved and soon became widespread. Already in the middle of the 16th century, there were almost 1000 different variations of recipes for a delicious dish.

How to cook classic risotto

Italians prepare risotto in literally 20 minutes. True, the components for the dish must be prepared in advance.

Use any broth for your meal – fish, chicken, beef, vegetable. According to the classics, real risotto is made from chicken meat cooked with vegetables and seasonings. For taste, celery, parsley, green pea pods, black pepper, juniper berries, and leeks are added to the broth. Essential herbs are thyme, bay leaf, and savory.

How to properly cook chicken for risotto

• Pour cold water over the chicken and add salt immediately. Once boiling, add vegetables. Cook over low heat for about 2 hours, remembering to skim off the foam.
• Half an hour before the end, pour in a little white wine and place the greens in the pan. The broth must be strained.

Which rice to take

• Ideal rice varieties should be high in starch. Padano, Arborio, Maratelli, Carnaroli, Baldo, Nano.

Classic Italian risotto recipe

Now, having mastered the theory, try to cook the most delicious classic risotto of your life. I offer a step-by-step story and photos of the dish’s execution. I have mushroom broth, you can replace it with chicken broth. The technology for preparing risotto itself will not change.

Take:

• Rice – 200 gr.
• Parmesan cheese – 50 gr.
• Bulb.
• Butter – 30 gr.
• Wine, white, dry – 90 ml.
• Olive oil – large spoon.
• Saffron – a pinch.

For the broth:

• Water - liter.
• Mushrooms – 300 gr.
• Bay leaves - a couple of pieces.
• Salt.
• Pepper, other spices as desired.

Step-by-step recipe with photos

First, add the saffron to the wine. Place the spice in a glass, stir, leave to soak until a beautiful color appears, coloring the drink.

My broth is mushroom. To prepare it, cut the champignons into thin slices, add bay leaf and pepper.

Let it cook, adding water. After 25-30 minutes the broth is ready. Strain it and return to the heat. Place the champignons on another dish; they will no longer be useful here.

At the same time, chop the onion into small cubes. Heat a piece of butter in a frying pan, pour in some olive oil. Add onion and fry until soft.

Add rice to the pan. Let me remind you: there is no need to rinse the cereal. Stir the contents.

From this point on, the rice must be stirred continuously (or very often). This helps the starch in the rice release and helps it cook evenly.

Pour in the infused wine with saffron (strain the drink, removing the saffron). Continue stirring vigorously.

Wait for the alcohol to evaporate and the wine to “absorb” the rice. Start adding the hot mushroom broth. Risotto doesn’t like to be rushed, so add literally one ladle at a time. Immediately begin stirring until the liquid is absorbed into the rice.

After this, pour a new portion and continue the process of evaporating and absorbing the broth. Everything will take about 20 minutes. At this point, leave the risotto alone for a couple of minutes.

Then place the cold pieces of butter on top.

Sprinkle generously with grated Parmesan.

Stir, transfer to a dish and serve immediately; risotto is eaten piping hot. The Italians even have a saying on this topic: “A person waits for risotto, not risotto waits for a person.”

Classic seafood risotto

Italians affectionately call the dish Marinara. And they put in the risotto everything that is at hand from the seafood - octopus, mussels, shrimp, squid. The dish is complex, but if you dare and prepare it, it will turn out like in the best restaurant.

You will need:

• Rice – 200 gr.
• Olive oil – 40 ml.
• Mussels – 240 gr.
• Selected shrimp – 30 pcs.
• Sea cockerels – 200 gr.
• Squid and octopus (boiled) – 100 g each.
• Fish broth - how much rice will take.
• Dry white wine – 80 ml.
• Tomato sauce – 30 ml.
• Salt, parsley sprigs, ground pepper.

Attention! Any seafood from the recipe list can be added. If you don't find it, skip it. If you “catch” everything, add it, you will get a real Marinara.

How to cook:

1. Prepare the seafood. Peel, fry in oil, adding chopped parsley.
2. Pour in the rice, lower the heat, slowly sauté the cereal, remembering to stir the contents of the frying pan.
3. After 2-3 minutes, pour in the wine. Continue stirring.
4. After it has evaporated, start adding the broth.
5. Add fish broth in small portions. When the broth is over and the rice has absorbed every drop, add tomato sauce.
6. Cook the rice until al dente. Place on a plate, garnish with herbs and seafood.

Classic risotto with cheese and mushrooms

A very popular recipe, easy to prepare. Very tasty risotto with wild mushrooms, especially white ones. Chanterelles are good, but if you can’t find them, take regular champignons available all year round. You will find more recipes in another article about

Required:

• Champignon mushrooms – 100 gr.
• Rice – 100 gr.
• Cheese – 30 gr.
• A small onion.
• Olive oil – 20 ml.
• Cognac – a few spoons.
• Butter – 10 gr.
• Mushroom broth - as needed.
• Parsley - a bunch.
• Pepper, salt.

Cooking technology:

1. Chop the mushrooms in well-heated oil, add the diced onion.
2. After a few minutes of intense frying, add rice.
3. Stirring, heat the contents for 2-3 minutes.
4. Pour in the cognac. Wait for it to evaporate. After this, start adding mushroom broth.
5. Stirring continuously, bring the rice until al dente, that is, until cooked.
6. Turn off the heat and add pieces of butter without removing from the stove. Sprinkle cheese crumbles on top.
7. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Risotto – classic recipe with chicken

The most popular recipe for this dish is both delicious and very filling. I offer the simplest cooking option.

• Rice - a glass.
• Chicken fillet (breast) – 2 pcs.
• Bulb.
• Wine – 70 ml.
• Carrot.
• Saffron – a pinch.
• Salt, pepper - a pinch.

Preparation:

1. Add a pinch of saffron to the wine and leave to steep.
2. Chop the onion and fry in a frying pan until translucent.
3. Add diced carrots (you can grate them coarsely, but the original recipe calls for cubes).
4. Stirring slowly, fry for 2-3 minutes.
5. Divide the chicken into small pieces. I advise you to do the slicing by slightly freezing the fillets, then they will come out even.
6. Throw the fillet pieces into the pan with the vegetables.
7. Stirring vigorously, simmer for a couple of minutes.
8. Pour in dry saffron wine and continue simmering for 5-10 minutes until the liquid evaporates.
9. Next, rice is laid. As with previous recipes, the most important step in cooking begins. Slowly add water and stir the rice. Add again and stir well. After 15 minutes, taste the cereal.
10. Sprinkle the finished dish with grated cheese. Let stand for a few minutes.

Video recipe for risotto from Jamie Oliver

Oliver is a recognized expert on Italian cuisine and knows everything about it. The famous chef prepares a masterly classic risotto and shares all the nuances of cooking. This video contains a recipe with mushrooms.

Add to the collection of risotto recipes:

Risotto with vegetables and mushrooms - a classic recipe without wine

A simple vegetable risotto is prepared using a decoction of various vegetables. For satiety, I recommend adding mushrooms, although you can do without them.

You will need:

• Rice – 200 gr.
• Green beans – 100 gr.
• Green peas – 100 gr.
• Bell pepper – ½ part.
• Carrots + 1 for broth.
• Onion + 2 more for broth.
• Champignons – 5-6 pcs.
• Olive oil – 2 large spoons.
• Turmeric, salt, basil, ground pepper.

Preparation:

1. First, cook the vegetable broth. Place carrots and onions in a saucepan, add water and salt. Cook from the moment of boiling for 15 minutes.
2. Chop carrots and onions, fry in well-heated oil. Add chopped beans and peas.
3. Cut the mushrooms into slices. Remove seeds and membranes from the pepper. Divide into strips. Place the vegetables in the pan and add a little salt. Continue frying together, stirring the contents occasionally.
4. When the mushrooms have settled, add the cereal. Stir, add a little vegetable broth.
5. Add the broth until the rice is fully cooked. Approximate time: 15-17 minutes.
6. Add turmeric, basil, taste for salt, adjust taste if necessary.
7. To serve, sprinkle with parsley.

Risotto with porcini mushrooms and cream

You will need:

• Rice – 500 gr.
• Cream 20% - 100 ml.
• Bulb.
• Porcini mushrooms – 500 gr.
• Garlic – 4 cloves.
• Dry wine, white – 200 ml.
• Olive oil – 50 ml.
• Chicken broth – 1.5 liters.
• Butter – 50 gr.
• Parmesan – 50 gr.
• Salt.

How to prepare risotto:

1. Combine both types of oil in a saucepan. First, fry the diced onion. Then, when it softens, add the cereal.
2. Stir for a few minutes. Add crushed garlic.
3. Cut the mushrooms into small pieces and continue frying.
4. After a few minutes, pour in the wine.
5. When the wine is gone, add chicken broth in portions.
6. The first portion of broth is 2 ladles, then pour one at a time. The risotto should not boil; adjust the heat so that it warms up slowly. Try to constantly stir the rice so that it absorbs the broth and cooks evenly.
7. Cooking time 15 minutes. Then taste the cereal and adjust the salt. Turn off the burner.
8. Combine cream with grated cheese in a separate bowl.
9. Add cream mixture, stir one last time. Let sit for 2-5 minutes and serve.

How to cook with shrimp according to a classic recipe

The shrimp broth cooks quickly and turns out aromatic and rich.

• Rice - a glass.
• Large shrimps – 8-10 pcs.
• Onion – ½ part (tastes better with shallots – 1 pc.).
• Garlic – 4 cloves.
• Dry wine – 100 ml.
• Parsley, rosemary - sprigs.
• Water - liter.
• Butter, olive oil, salt, pepper.

Preparation:

1. Cook the broth. To do this, peel the shrimp from the shells and remove the heads.
2. Melt a spoonful of butter in a frying pan (in a saucepan), add one clove of garlic, pressed, and fry the shells and heads.
3. Chop rosemary and parsley and add to seafood.
4. Fill with water, cook at a gentle boil for a quarter of an hour.
5. Strain the shrimp broth. Return to the pan.
6. Cut the back of the shrimp and pull out the black vein.
7. In a separate frying pan, combine butter and olive oil, add finely chopped garlic cloves (2 pcs.). Add diced onion (or sliced ​​shallots).
8. Fry for 10 minutes. Then add rice.
9. Increase the heat and add alcohol. When the liquid has evaporated, start adding broth.
10. Don't forget to actively stir the risotto. When you've used a little more than half the broth, taste the rice. It should be a little undercooked. At this step, season the dish with pepper. Pour in the remaining broth, stirring, and cook the rice until cooked.
11. Spread the pieces of butter, cover the pan with a lid, and leave for 5 minutes.
12. During this time, quickly fry the shrimp in olive oil, flavoring it with gruel from the last garlic clove.
13. Pour the remaining oil from frying the shrimp into the risotto. Place the rice on a plate, next to the shrimp, sprinkle with parsley.

Video with a recipe for making classic risotto. May you always have delicious food!

Cooking secrets

Risotto is one of the culinary symbols of Northern Italy, like pizza and spaghetti. This dish appeared by chance, thanks to the absent-mindedness of the cook, who was preparing rice soup, but forgot about it, and all the broth evaporated. Surprisingly, the cook found delicious rice in the pan, like the most delicate cream, with pieces of vegetables and meat. The first recipes for Italian risotto appeared in the 16th century, and now there are about a thousand ways to prepare this dish. All of them are prepared according to the same scheme: rice is fried in oil with onions, filled with broth or water, stewed, then vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, meat or seafood are added to it, and the ingredients may change. Sometimes, for a creamy texture, grated cheese mixed with butter is added to the dish at the end of cooking. You don't have to go to Italy to try Italian dishes, you can do it at home! So, let's talk about how to cook at home.

The best broth for risotto

Italian housewives prepare risotto in a maximum of 20 minutes, but they prepare all the ingredients for the dish in advance, such as broth. Risotto can be cooked in fish, beef and vegetable broth, but classic risotto recipes use chicken broth, boiled in good water with vegetables and spices. The flavor of the chicken goes perfectly with the rice!

It is better to cook chicken in well-purified drinking water with the addition of carrots, onions, stalked celery, parsley root, green pea pods, leeks, juniper, white or black peppercorns. And of course, don’t forget about the bouquet garni, which includes three essential components - parsley, thyme and bay leaf, diluted with tarragon, basil, rosemary, thyme and savory. These seasonings can be added dried or fresh, and it is better to salt the broth with sea salt - it’s tastier and healthier.

The broth is prepared in the usual way: put the chicken in cold and lightly salted water, after boiling, reduce the heat, skim off the foam, add vegetables and spices and simmer for about 2 hours over low heat. 30 minutes before it’s ready, pour in a little dry white wine, and a couple of minutes before it’s ready, put bunches of greens into the pan. Then you need to cool and strain the broth. Using this recipe, you can also prepare broths from other products, just changing the cooking time, because vegetables and mushrooms cook faster.

Soft on the outside, hard on the inside

There are several hundred varieties of rice in the world, but only three varieties are intended for risotto - Arborio, Carnaroli and Vialone Nano. These medium-grain starchy varieties have a unique feature - they contain two types of starch. The starch on the surface becomes soft very quickly, so when cooked, the grains acquire a creamy consistency on the outside. The starch filling the core of the grain remains hard even after long cooking, so the rice turns out soft on the outside and dense on the inside. This is its highlight. Under no circumstances should you rinse rice before placing it in water, otherwise the surface layer will be damaged and you will end up with rice porridge instead of risotto. When choosing rice in a store, you can safely buy a package called “Risotto Rice.” Most likely, this is arborio, since other varieties are difficult to find in Russian stores. However, Arborio rice is very good and beautiful, looking like freshwater pearls. The quality of the rice is very important because it is what holds the dish together. By the way, about proportions - for 100 g of rice you need to take about 500 ml of broth.

A few words about products for risotto

The classic cheese for risotto is hard, grainy Parmesan or Grana Padano; the wine must be white and dry. It is recommended to use only butter, since risotto is a dish of the northern Italian regions, and olives grow in the south, however, in modern recipes it is allowed to use a combination of butter and olive oil. Naturally, the oil should have a fat content of 82.5%.

It is better to take yellow and white onions, not red; they should be cut very finely so that they do not introduce disharmony into the creamy consistency of the dish. Another important component of risotto is saffron. This ingredient is mentioned in recipes for risotto alla Milanese. You only need to purchase it in a store, and in its entirety, despite the fact that at the oriental bazaar sellers offer to buy a glass of saffron for 300 rubles. This should not be done under any circumstances, because the true cost of the spice is $10 per gram, and this gram will be enough for more than 40 risottos. To prepare the dish, use an infusion of saffron, for which several stamens are poured with hot broth and left for 30 minutes until the liquid acquires an orange tint. Another option is to dissolve saffron in wine.

Important points for preparing risotto

First, onions and other vegetables are fried in a frying pan until soft and transparent, but without forming a golden brown crust. Then pour in the rice and stir with the vegetables for half a minute, then pour in the wine, and the stirring process continues until the liquid is absorbed into the rice. Next, add one ladle of hot broth, while stirring the rice vigorously until it absorbs the liquid. When half of the broth remains, the main ingredient is added to the rice - saffron water, as well as mushrooms, seafood, meat or the necessary vegetables, then the broth is poured again in parts (while stirring). Exactly 17 minutes from the start of cooking, the frying pan is removed from the heat; it should remain completely undisturbed for 2 minutes so that the rice can rest and cool slightly. Finally, cubes of cold butter and grated cheese are placed on the rice, after which the risotto is well kneaded or shaken to distribute the butter and cheese evenly.

Constantly stirring the rice is an important condition for preparing the right risotto, and to make it work, prepare all the ingredients in advance, and then you won’t have to be distracted by onions or cheese. By the way, Italians do not add cheese to seafood risotto, believing that they do not go well together. You should be careful with salt and pepper when preparing risotto, since well-aged cheeses have a salty and spicy taste. Before cooking, taste the dish and, if necessary, add salt.

How to make risotto especially delicious: secrets from the chef

If you are making risotto with chicken broth, add a little tarragon to the pan while cooking the chicken, and dill is good for making seafood broth. These seasonings improve the taste of the dish and make the risotto incredibly fragrant. You can put the chicken soup set for broth in the oven for 5 minutes and then cook the broth from it, which will turn out strong, tasty and golden. The same can be done with vegetables for broth - keep them in the oven or in a hot frying pan until lightly charred.

It is better to crush the peppercorns before cooking, then the aroma will be especially bright. By the way, to make the broth low-calorie, it is recommended to cool it and skim off the congealed fat.

All products for risotto must be of the highest quality, so you should not use wine for the broth just because it turned out to be too sour, or add dried cheese to the rice.

Another feature of the dish is its versatility, because each Italian region cooks it differently, so there are many recipes for how to prepare risotto. Instead of dry white wine, feel free to add dessert or sparkling wines, replace classic hard cheese with soft or blue cheeses, and use creamy cheeses, cream or olive oil as a butter substitute.

Experiments with risotto

In ancient recipes for this dish one could find egg yolks, sausage, sugar, milk and bread crumb, but even now chefs like to experiment with risotto. For example, if you add green peas to a dish, you get a Venetian version. Some Milanese cooks fry onions and garlic with bone marrow, and during the Renaissance this dish was served with ox marrow, making risotto a delicacy.

With asparagus, artichokes, cauliflower, celery and zucchini it is considered a dietary dish - you can add lemon juice to it for piquancy and freshness. Risotto often becomes a filling for pies; it is also used as stuffing for tomatoes, eggplants and peppers, and it is also cooked in the oven as a casserole. Avocado, tomatoes, carrots, beans, sausages, cervelat and other products are also added to this dish.

Risotto can be prepared for dessert by boiling rice in milk or berry broth, and then adding fruits, berries, dried fruits and nuts to it. Sweet risotto with pumpkin, chocolate or chestnuts is very tasty.

Step-by-step risotto recipe

So, you've mastered the theory, now try making classic Milanese risotto with saffron and white wine. All details are described above, so the recipe is given without details.

Ingredients: chicken broth - 5.5 cups, risotto rice - 360 g, dry white wine - 120 ml, onion - 1 pc., butter - 30 g, champignons - 150 g, olive oil - 2 tbsp. l., Parmesan - 120 g, saffron - 1 pinch, salt - to taste, ground black pepper - to taste.

Cooking method:

1. Add saffron to the wine.

2. Bring the broth to a boil and cover with a lid.

3. Finely chop the onion, chop the mushrooms medium-sized and fry in olive oil until softened, this will take about 5 minutes. The onion should retain its color.

4. Add the rice to the onions and stir well for a minute.

5. Pour the saffron wine into the rice, reduce the heat and cook, stirring, until the rice has completely absorbed the wine.

6. Add one ladle of broth to the rice and stir again until absorbed. So pour in a ladle of broth until it runs out. On average, rice takes about 25 minutes to cook; when cooked, it resembles something between a second rice dish and rice soup from which all the liquid has boiled away.

7. Season with salt and pepper, add diced cold butter and grated Parmesan. Stir and serve.

Your family will certainly appreciate Italian risotto, and when you learn how to cook a classic version of the dish, pay attention to other risotto recipes, photos and descriptions of which are published on our website.

Risotto with porcini mushrooms

Mushroom risotto has an appetizing appearance and an extraordinary aroma. Cook 2 liters of chicken broth with carrots, onions and spices. Bring 60 g of dry porcini mushrooms to a boil in a glass of chicken broth and let them brew for half an hour. Chop the swollen mushrooms, strain the liquid, pour back into the broth and bring to a boil.

In 2-3 tbsp. l. olive oil, fry the finely chopped onion until translucent, add 300 g of arborio rice into the pan and fry, stirring, for 3 minutes. Pour in a glass of dry white wine and simmer while stirring for another 3 minutes. Place the mushrooms in the rice, pour in 2 more ladles of broth and cook until the liquid is absorbed. Gradually add broth and stir for 18-20 minutes. Remove the rice from the heat, let it sit for a minute, and then add 40 g of butter and 100 g of grated Parmesan. Serve the risotto on warm plates, garnished with fresh herbs.

Risotto with mushrooms, kale and bacon

Risotto cannot be cooked in water, but vegetable, meat, chicken, and fish broth is suitable - the richer it is, the richer the taste of risotto.

Risotto with asparagus and Parma ham

If the asparagus is not very young, cook it in boiling water for a few minutes before adding it to the rice. The remaining onion puree will keep well in