RISOTTO – SO WORTH THE TIME

November 28, 2019

Making risotto isn’t hard, but it is time-consuming. You can’t just put it together and walk away. When you take the time to make it properly—meaning you patiently stir as you add the liquid and watch it transform into this glistening, creamy rice mixture that oozes with flavor—it is so worth the time you put in.

I made it the other night and there were leftovers! So my question is: how do I reheat it without losing any of that creaminess or overcooking it?

I came up with two solutions.

The first:

Fill the bottom of a double boiler with water and bring to a boil. In the top place the risotto and 1 cup of broth and mix it into the risotto, cover, and let the rice warm up. Stir from time to time. The risotto should be slightly soupy but not runny. It should take about 20 minutes. You can add more broth if necessary. Before serving, add 2 pads of butter and mix in.

The second:

Make rice cakes. Shape the risotto into rice balls and flatten them out to 3/4 of an inch thick. Dip them into a slightly beaten egg and then into breadcrumbs or Panko.

To cook either:

Panfry the rice cakes in a skillet with olive oil until they brown; turn them over so they brown on both sides.

Or

Place them on a sheet pan that you have coated with olive oil. Brush the cakes with olive oil and place them on the pan. Put them in your preheated 350° oven for about 10 minutes; check that they’re browning, turn them over, and continue cooking another 10 minutes until they are evenly browned.

The New York Times talks about using leftover risotto as an example for letting nothing go to waste. This recipe uses leftover, day-old risotto, to create a crispy delicious cake. 

Whatever you choose, you first have to have leftovers, and that means you have to start by making the risotto.

So let me invite you to try this recipe. Actually, can I ask you to test it and let me know what you think? That would be so helpful!

Risotto

This is a classic Italian dish that is delicious.

Serves 4
Prep time 10 minutes
Total time 45 minutes

Ingredients

5 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup shallots or onion diced small
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (This is a must as it will not work with another rice.)
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 tbsp butter cut into slices
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp parsley minced
salt and pepper

Directions

1. Heat the stock, then lower the heat to keep it simmering.
2. In a heavy bottom skillet, add the oil.
3. Add the onion or shallots and cook until translucent, 2 minutes.
4. Add the rice to the pan, stir with a wooden spoon making certain to coat the rice with the oil. Continue cooking for 2 minutes making certain all the rice grains are well coated.
5. Add the wine to the pan and stir until the wine is absorbed.
6. Add 1/2 cup of the simmering broth to the pan and continue to stir until the broth is absorbed.
7. Continue this process until all but 1/2 cup of the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender but still has a slight bite; it should be al dente; keep in mind that the rice should be creamy but not mushy.
8. Take the pan off the heat; if the risotto isn’t creamy, add 1/2 cup of broth, stir, and add the butter and parmesan cheese.
9. Add the parsley.
10. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

* Optional you can add 8 oz. of sliced mushroom. Brown them in the beginning and set aside. Add them to the rice when you add the parmesan cheese.

Here is a little reminder if you are testing a recipe:

Can you tell me:

Was it understandable?
Did I omit something?
Was it easy to follow?
Did the recipe turn out?
Is there anything you’d change?
Did you like it?
Would you make it again?

*Don’t let the length of the recipes intimidate you. They may seem long, but that is only to ensure that everything is explained.

Before you start cooking, there are two steps you should take. I highly recommend that you:

1. Read the entire recipe before starting. Trust me, it makes cooking so much easier—I learned this the hard way.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten halfway through a recipe to read “let it marinate overnight.” What! I’m making this for tonight, not tomorrow! And I’m left improvising the rest of the recipe.

2. Do what chefs do before they start cooking. Get everything ready: all your utensils, tools, and ingredients measured, peeled, cut, and sliced. It is called mise en place, a French term meaning set in place. This step has actually made cooking easier.

Once all the ingredients are prepared and ready, I can start cooking without having to pause to prepare the next ingredients. And I don’t forget to include something because it is already waiting for me to include it. 

If you’d like, there are more recipes you can test (CLICK HERE)

You can answer the questions either in the comments or if you prefer you can email me at adeline@french-secrets.com.

ALSO: Take a picture of what you make. Email it or post it and link it to @adelineolmer so we see it.
One more thing: if you know anyone who you think would like to test a recipe, please send this on to them. The more the merrier.

Merci!

Share:

Leave a comment

Comments will be approved before showing up.

Name *

Email *

Comment *

---

Also in Blog