Risotto

Does anyone want to share a good, easy recipe for risotto? 

It's funny, that's what I was hoping this thread was going to be about.  Here's my favorite risotto recipe...
600 grams chicken stock (2 cups water, 1 stock tablet)
150 grams arborio rice
100 grams frozen peas (we use soya beans instead)
110 grams spinach

Warm the chicken stock, and then add the rice slowly, stirring between each addition so the rice absorbs the liquid.  Stir in frozen peas and spinach.  We also season the risotto with salt, garlic and Italian seasoning as it's cooking.  

Does anyone want to share a good, easy recipe for risotto? 

Do  you like seafood or do you prefer bacon?

Can someone explain the appeal of risotto? Mushy rice just doesn't do it for me.

Good risotto shouldn't be mushy.

Vicky

Good risotto shouldn't be mushy.

Word.  And there's something about the creamy texture of it (the sauce around the risotto rice) - for me.  Steve has worked off a couple of Nigel Slater recipes - one was lemon & asparagus, the other contained chicken pieces.  Both had loads of parmesan in them - yummy yum yum!

Can someone explain the appeal of risotto? Mushy rice just doesn't do it for me.

I am not a big risotto fan either. I love rice prepared every way; fried, sticky, biryani, plain brown and rice pudding, but IMO, risotto is usually too rich and stodgy for me.

I am not a big risotto fan either. I love rice prepared every way; fried, sticky, biryani, plain brown and rice pudding, but IMO, risotto is usually too rich and stodgy for me.

It can be kind of rich but, to me, risotto is a meal. Rice cooked most other ways is a side dish.

Steve has worked off a couple of Nigel Slater recipes - one was lemon & asparagus

Can you post the lemon & asparagus recipe? That sounds really good!

Can you post the lemon & asparagus recipe? That sounds really good!

Anything for you, my dear!

Asparagus and lemon risotto

Butter, thick slice about 50g
small onion
200 g arborio rice
glass of white wine or Noilly Prat (vermouth)
400 g asparagus
1 litre hot chicken stock
2 lemons
3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan

Melt butter in wide, high-sided pan over very low heat.  Peel the onion & chop finely.  If onion is larger than a golf ball, use only half.  Soften onion in butter, stirring occasionally - onion to get translucent & silky but not colored.

Stir in rice, folding grains over briefly in butter with wooden spoon.  Pour in wine or vermouth & let it bubble down until most of liquid is gone.  Meanwhile, chop asparagus into short lengths.

Add hefty ladle of hot stock, turn up heat, and then let liquid almost disappear before adding asparagus & 2nd ladle of stock.  Continue adding stock until it boils down to almost nothing.  Stir rice often, in between grating & squeezing lemons.

Season with salt, pepper, lemon zest & lemon juice.  Cooking till rice is creamy but has a little bite left in it.  Stir in cheese & eat immediately.  Serves 2.

(I will say that Steve used these enormous lemons & it was waaaay too lemony, so watch it if they are big lemons & taste as you're adding the lemon along.)

Im sure i mentioned the American pronunciation of 'risotto' as an 'inconvenient annoyance' at some stage...  must have been watching an American TV programme or something at the time!

Do  you like seafood or do you prefer bacon?

Please give out the seafood risotto recipe if you can. The only time I've ever had risotto was at my friend Croatian friend Andrea's house and it had these awesome prawns in it and I could've eaten the whole batch. So an idea of how to make something similar would be great.

Anything for you, my dear!

That sounds heavenly!! I'll add it to my ever-growing recipe file! Thanks! 

OK, I suspect most people won't like squid so I'll post the bacon one.  This is not my own recipe, it's from the Food and Wine 2004 cookbook.

Caramelized Onion Risotto with Bacon

Active:35 minutes
Total:1 hr 15min

Serves 4

1/2 pound thickly sliced meaty bacon
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
2 quarts chicken stock or low sodium broth
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups of Arborio rice
1 tsp coarsely chopped thyme
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan plus more for serving
Salt and Pepper to taste

1.  In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until crisp, about 8 minutes.  Transfer to paper towels to drain, then crumble.

2.  In a large saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil.  Add the onions and cook over moderately high heat until lightly browned, about 4 minutes.  Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and browned, about 20 minutes.  Transfer the onions to a plate.  Rinse out the saucepan.

3.  Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Cover and keep the stock hot over low heat.  Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the large saucepan.  Add the minced garlic and cook over moderate heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.  Add enough hot chicken stock to cover the rice, about 1 1/2 cups, and stir constantly over moderate heat until the stock has been absorbed.  Continue adding stock, about 1 1/2 cups at a time, and cook, stirring constantly, until the stock has been completely absorbed before adding more.  The rise is done when the grains are just tender and the sauce is creamy, about 20 minutes.

4.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the onions, bacon, thyme and 1/2 cup of Parmesan.  Season the risotto with salt and pepper.  Spoon the risotto into shallow bowls and serve, passing additional Parmesan cheese at the table.

Make ahead:  The recipe can be prepared through step 2 up to 4 hours ahead.  The bacon and onions can be kept, separately, at room temperature.

I haven't made risotto in about six months (have been on a paella kick instead!) but I can tell that I'm going to have to start again SOON, if the amount of drool I've produced while reading this thread is any indication.... 

Dan (the boyf) makes a LOVELY WW mushroom risotto which is really low in points.  If you can hang out til Monday, i'd be happy to steal the recipe.

Vicky

That sounds good, I'll def look forward to that.  Thanks!

Do  you like seafood or do you prefer bacon?

Depends on the seafood but either is good.

Oh, just saw your last post.  Yeah, I don't do squid, lol.  The bacon recipe sounds awesome.  Thanks for sharing.