Basic Risotto

This is the recipe I follow when I want to make a basic risotto, because with this base I can add the flavour of whichever risotto I want to prepare. I usually make a cheese risotto or add a vegetable such as leek or asparagus, or even peas. The risotto itself is already quite a rich dish since it has rice, butter and cheese, so I prefer not to overload the flavour with too many ingredients, and this way I can serve it with a meat dish.

Ingredients

• 1 cup arborio rice, the typical rice for risotto
• 1L hot water
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp butter
• 100g grated parmesan cheese
• 1 espresso cup dry white wine
• Salt

Method

1. Put the water on to heat and keep it hot while you are preparing the risotto. You can also use a vegetable stock to give your risotto more flavour
2. Over a medium heat, sauté the onion in 1 spoonful of butter until it is soft — we don’t want to brown it, only to sauté
3. Add the rice and sauté for about 3 minutes
4. Add the wine and wait for it to evaporate for about 2 minutes
5. Begin the process of adding the hot water; each time you add some, stir the rice and wait 2-3 minutes until the water has almost completely evaporated — it is important that the rice releases its starch so it becomes creamy
6. Add the water in small quantities and stir so the rice cooks evenly, and at a certain point taste a small portion to see whether it is almost done
7. When it reaches the almost-done point (“Al dente”), add the grated cheese, mixing well. Add a second cheese here if you wish — in this photo I added gorgonzola to flavour my risotto
8. Cook for a few more minutes until the remaining water has evaporated and the rice reaches the done point; it shouldn’t be too soft, but it also mustn’t stick to your teeth when you chew
9. Add the other spoonful of butter and turn off the heat. Serve immediately

Flavour tips

Leek - sauté the sliced leek together with the onion, don’t let it brown or it will taste bitter, then continue with the following steps Saffron - add 1-2 saffron threads while sautéing the onion; it pairs well with seafood, served with prawns or a baked fish Dried beef - Prepare the dried beef separately and add it already shredded at the point when you sauté the onion, then continue with the following steps