Risotto is an Italian dish, the name of which translates as "risik", so it is easy to guess that the most important thing in its preparation is rice. It should be soft on the outside and firm on the inside.
Rice for risotto
Only three varieties of rice are suitable for risotto: arborio, carnaroli and vialone nano. These are Italian varieties. Unlike regular rice, they contain two types of starch: amylopectin, the starch on the outside, and amylase, the starch inside the grain of rice. It is thanks to the starch that is on the surface of the rice grain that the finished dish turns out to be creamy and soft on the outside. Therefore, these types of rice should never be rinsed before cooking. And the starch inside the grain makes the finished dish "al dente", which means "by the tooth", that is, the finished rice remains a little hard on the inside.
Arborio is the most common and readily available rice variety. The grains of this rice are large, so it is easiest to make risotto from it. They also contain a very large amount of amylopectin. The only drawback of this rice is that after cooking it must be served immediately, as in a few minutes it will stick together and turn into porridge. Therefore, this type of rice is ideal for preparing classic risotto, without complicated side dishes. For example, risotto with cheese or mushrooms.
Carnaroli is a rice with large, elongated grains that contain amylopectin and amylases. Of the three varieties, this one is the most expensive, but at the same time it is the most versatile. Making risotto from this rice is more difficult. Cooked rice retains its appearance a little longer than arborio. It is used most often for making risotto with asparagus or game.
Vialone nano is the most difficult rice variety to obtain. It is often used in restaurant practice, as the grain of this rice is smaller in size than that of arborio, and it has a low level of amylopectin. It is suitable for preparing any kind of risotto.
When buying rice, you need to pay attention to the packaging date. If the rice was packed a long time ago, then there is a possibility that the package was often rearranged and the grains in it are chipped and cracked. If the packaging says "rice for risotto", then this is most likely the Arborio variety.
Features of cooking risotto
In addition to rice, broth is needed to make risotto. The preparation of risotto includes several stages.
The first step is to prepare the sofrito. This stage includes frying onions and other vegetables. It is worth noting that the onion should not become toasty, it should only lose its color, but in no case change it.
The second stage is toastatura. The rice is mixed with vegetables and fried until it absorbs the oil. Then wine is added and the dish is cooked until the alcohol has completely evaporated.
The third step is to add the broth to the rice. Chicken broth is ideal for risotto. A few ladles of broth are added to the rice and cooked until it is completely absorbed. This procedure is repeated several times. When the rice is almost ready, the main ingredients are added to it: mushrooms, seafood, etc. Then the remaining broth is poured out. After the rice is fully cooked, this will happen in about 15-20 minutes, it must be removed from the heat and left in complete rest for about 1 minute.
The final stage is mantekatura. Add cold, finely chopped butter, grated cheese, all this is mixed. The dish is ready to eat.
