- View our video masterclass for top tips on making a risotto
Risotto Milanese (skill: easy)
Serves four
Ingredients:
- 340g Riso Gallo arborio rice
- 40g butter
- 1 finely chopped medium onion
- 1 glass dry white wine
- 1.2 ltr hot vegetable or chicken stock
- 100g grated parmesan
- A generous pinch of saffron
How to prepare:
Sauté one finely chopped medium onion in 40g of butter until softened. Add 340g of arborio rice and coat until translucent. Add one glass of dry white wine, and cook until evaporated. Add 1 ltr hot chicken or vegetable stock and simmer, stirring occasionally.
After 14 minutes the stock will have been absorbed, the risotto will be cooked and creamy, yet retaining a desired bite in the centre. For less ‘al dente’ consistency add a ladle full of the hot stock and simmer until absorbed, continue in this way until the rice has reached the desired consistency.
Stir through the generous pinch of saffron, the grated Parmesan cheese and serve your “risotto alla milanese”.
Mushroom risotto (skill: easy)
Serves four
Ingredients:
- 340g Riso Gallo Arborio rice
- 40g butter
- 1 finely chopped medium onion
- 1 glass dry white wine
- 1.2 ltr hot vegetable or chicken stock
- 100g grated parmesan
- 300g of mushroom
How to prepare:
Sauté one finely chopped medium onion and the mushrooms in 40g of butter until softened. Add 340g of rice and coat until translucent. Add one glass of dry white wine, and cook until evaporated. Add 1ltr hot chicken or vegetable stock and simmer, stirring occasionally.
After 14 minutes the stock will have been absorbed, the rice will be cooked and creamy, yet retaining a desired bite in the centre. For less ‘al dente’ consistency add a ladle full of the hot stock and simmer until absorbed, continue in this way until the rice has reached the desired consistency. Stir through grated Parmesan cheese and serve mushroom risotto.
Wild spinach, butternut squash and amaretto cookie (skill: easy)
Serves four
Ingredients:
- 320 g Riserva 1856 carnaroli rice
- 4 scallions finely chopped
- 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 ltr good chicken broth
- 3 tbsp. parmigiano-reggiano
- Parmesangrated
- 250 g butternut squash diced
- 3 bunches wild spinach
- 4 amaretto cookies
- a pinch of with pepper freshly ground
How to prepare:
Cook scallions in oil until transparent, add the rice, and toast it for two minutes mixing it. Pour in two cups of broth. In a sauté pan roast the diced butternut squash until tender, season it with pepper and take it off the fire. Cut the bigger leaves of spinach in fine julienne keeping the hearts for garnish.
Cook rice for 14 minutes adding more broth and always stirring it. Add the squash to the risotto. Take the risotto off the heat, mix spinach, butter and cheese and at the very end the amaretto cookies in crumb.
Pour the risotto still ‘all’onda’ on the plates and garnish it some diced squash previously sautéed in butter and the hearts of spinach deep fried until transparent.
Spinach and ricotta (skill: easy)
Serves four
Ingredients:
- 340g Riso Gallo carnaroli rice
- 40 g butter
- 1 finely chopped medium onion
- 1 glass of dry white wine
- 1.2 l hot vegetable or chicken stock
- 100 g grated Parmesan
- 150 g spinach
- 100 g ricotta
How to prepare:
Sauté one finely chopped medium onion and the spinach in 40 g of butter until softened. Add 340g of Risotto rice and coat until translucent. Add one glass of dry white wine, and cook until evaporated. Add 1ltr hot chicken or vegetable stock and simmer, stirring occasionally.
After 14 minutes the stock will have been absorbed, the risotto will be cooked and creamy, yet retaining a desired bite in the centre. For less ‘al dente’ consistency add a ladle full of the hot stock and simmer until absorbed, continue in this way until the rice has reached the desired consistency. Stir through ricotta and grated Parmesan cheese and serve.
Asparagus and spring pea (skill: difficult)
Serves four
Made In the late spring or early summer this risotto brings out the best of some truly wonderful seasonal ingredients, home grown asparagus and tender sweet peas. I use a medley of 4 creamy Italian cheeses for this dish, but feel free to experiment and choose your own favourites. As the asparagus is tender at this time of year, there is no need to peel it.
Ingredients:
- 1litr light chicken or vegetable stock
- 50g unsalted butter
- 2 tb olive oil
- 1 onion, peeled, finely chopped
- ½ clove garlic, crushed
- 275g GRAN RISERVA rice
- 120 ml dry white wine
- 300g fresh asparagus tips
- 150g fresh peas (out of their pods), frozen is also fine
- For the fonduta:
- 50g gorgonzola cheese
- 50g fontina cheese
- 50g tallegio cheese
- 75g parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 90ml milk
- 60ml double cream
- 1tsp cornflour
Method:
- Place the stock in a pan, bring it to the boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and keep it hot.
- Cut the asparagus in 3cm lengths.
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a heavy based pan, add the onion and garlic, and cook until softened.
- Add the rice, mix well with the onions and cook for 2 minutes until the rice is well coated.
- Add the wine and cook for 0ne minute to evaporate it and completely absorbed.
- Add a ladle of hot stock and simmer , stirring constantly, until all has been absorbed
- Add the asparagus and peas and mix well
- Continue to add the stock a ladle at a time until all is absorbed
- After 18-20 minutes check for the required ’al dente’ texture…the rice should be tender, but with a firm bite in the centre. Cover the risotto with a lid and leave to stand for 2 minutes.
- For the fonduta… heat the milk, cornflour and cream in a pan to the boil. Add the tallegio, fontina and gorgonzola cheeses and 50g of the parmesan, stir into the cream to melt it, stir until whole mix is smooth and creamy.
- Divide the risotto between four serving plates, spoon some of the fonduta over each risotto , sprinkle over the remaining parmesan and serve.
Fennel risotto with smoked salmon, Sicilian lemon and vodka (skill: difficult)
Serves four
Adding vodka to a risotto may sound a little strange for some, but it really adds a wonderful flavour to the rice and compliments the sweet fennel and smoked salmon beautifully.
Ingredients:
- 1 large head of fennel
- 75g unsalted butter
- 2 tb olive oil
- 1 onion, peeled, finely chopped
- 275g Gran Riserva Rice
- 100ml vodka
- 1ltr light chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
- 50g parmesan, freshly grated
- 75g good quality smoked salmon, chopped
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon (preferably Sicilian)
- Sea salt, freshly ground black pepper
Method:
- Place the stock in a pan, heat until boiling, then reduce the heat and keep it at a low simmer.
- Peel the fennel, reserving any fronds as a garnish if wished. Cut it in half and remove the woody centre cores, then cut the fennel into 1 cm cubes. Add any trimmings to the stock for extra flavour.
- In a heavy based pan, heat the olive oil and 25g of the butter, add the onion and fennel, cook over a low-medium heat for 4-5 minutes to soften the vegetables.
- Add the rice, stir together with the vegetables and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the rice is translucent and well coated
- Add the vodka, cook for 2 minutes , or until it has been completely absorbed
- Add a ladle of hot stock and simmer, stirring until it has been absorbed.
- Continue adding the stock, a ladle at a time, letting each addition be absorbed by the rice before adding the next.
- After 18-20 minutes check for the required ‘al dente’ texture-….the rice should be tender, but with a firm bite in the centre and a creamy moist consistency.
- Remove the pan from the heat, add the parmesan, remaining butter, smoked salmon and juice and zest of the lemon, stir in well.
- Cover the risotto with a lid, then let it stand for one minute before serving, garnish with any reserved fennel fronds and serve.
The risotto report series was sponsored by Italian rice experts Riso Gall0. The series includes a feature report, 10 things you need to know about risotto, a recipe gallery and a video masterclass.