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Risotto is a delicious and versatile northern Italian rice dish. The word risotto refers to the method used to cook the rice. It is first sautéed in butter and then stock is added in stages, and the rice is stirred constantly while it cooks, so that the rice becomes very creamy. Risotto is used in a similar fashion to pasta; in that the base of the dish is the starch and then a variety of ingredients are added.

Risotto Rice

The Italian word for rice is riso, and rice grown in Italy is categorized into four distinct types based on the length of the grain. The two types of Italian rice that are used for risotto are fino riso (fine rice), which has a long grain and super fino riso, which has an extra long grain.

The most common varieties of super fino rice are arborio, carnaroli, vialone nano and roma. When purchasing rice to make risotto, look for one of these varieties and make sure that it is categorized as super fino.

The Risotto Method

The risotto method of cooking rice is quite different than the usual stove top method. Below is a quick overview of the process.

Stock or water is heated and held warm in a pot. It is very important that the stock is hot when added to the rice. Cold stock will not create the creamy texture that is desired in risotto. Melt the butter in a second pot. Choose a pot with a heavy bottom to avoid burning the rice.

Add the onion or shallot to the butter and sauté it until translucent. Don't allow your aromatics to caramelize at all. A brown color will not look nice against the pearly white risotto. Don't forget to season the onions (or shallots) with salt and pepper.