Arborio RIce Question

[Porthos]

I "tried" to make risotto tonight. I have made it before. I could not get the rice from "still crunchy" to "nicely toothy" even though I continued to cook it and add more liquid., Does arborio rice get old and stop cooking up properly?

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I "tried" to make risotto tonight. I have made it before. I could not get the rice from "still crunchy" to "nicely toothy" even though I continued to cook it and add more liquid., Does arborio rice get old and stop cooking up properly?

 

I don't have an answer but I have had the same problem.  My guess would be to use a different type of rice, but I don't know what.

[Smithy]

Just as dried beans get too old to rehydrate properly, I would expect rice grains to do the same...although, if I were asked to bet, I'd be hard pressed to predict whether they would go rancid first.

This is speculation on my part, however. I am notorious for keeping beans and rice far longer than the optimum storage time. I usually get away with it, but I've produced some rather crunchy bean dishes and downright rancid brown rice dishes because I kept them too long. In other words, I'm no expert on arborio.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I use arborio a fair amount and I don't find it gets dry and hard for other dishes, just risotto.  In my case I would be surprised if the problem were other than my technique.

 

Then there was the time I tried to cook rice I had used for a blind pie crust weight.

[Lisa Shock]

Might be something about your water. Minerality and acidity affect cooking beans and other starches, don't see why rice wouldn't be affected as well.

[Porthos]

Might be something about your water. Minerality and acidity affect cooking beans and other starches, don't see why rice wouldn't be affected as well.

 

The stock was made by my daughter in her home some 60 miles closer to the ocean. That could contribute. Since I don't make risotto all that often I will pay better attention to sourcing the rice as well.

[andiesenji]

I stopped using arborio some years ago.  I found that carnaroli is much better.  It was recommended to me by the folks at an Italian market who claimed it was far superior to arborio - they carry it in bulk, but as it is quite a distance from me, I now order from Amazon.

The stuff I have now comes in cans so is very shelf stable for a long time.

 

The texture is much superior to arborio, is very creamy - it is more expensive but not that much to make it prohibitive. 

 

I have also used and have a supply of vialone nano, sent to me by a friend after a discussion about risotto on facebook. 

[weinoo]

Does arborio rice get old...

[Shel_B]

Just as dried beans get too old to rehydrate properly, I would expect rice grains to do the same...although, if I were asked to bet, I'd be hard pressed to predict whether they would go rancid first.

This is speculation on my part, however. I am notorious for keeping beans and rice far longer than the optimum storage time. I usually get away with it, but I've produced some rather crunchy bean dishes and downright rancid brown rice dishes because I kept them too long. In other words, I'm no expert on arborio.

 

I would think that Arborio (and other white rice) would not have a problem with rancidity since the fats are removed with the hull.

[Porthos]

I will be in Anaheim this Sunday so I will drop by Cortina's and buy some carnaroli and give that a whirl. Maybe pick up some of the wonderful cookies they sell for dessert, also. We're making Grilled Tuscan Tuna Steaks for dinner for my FIL. He has a neighbor who does deep sea fishing who can't begin to use up everything he catches so my FIL get some of it. When he gets tuna we never change recipes- it is just that good.

[dcarch]

Try the pressure cooker method.

 

dcarch

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Try the pressure cooker method.

 

dcarch

 

I once tried the MC pressure cooker recipe for risotto.  My results were nothing like risotto.  In this case I can well believe the problem was my technique, but I was not encouraged to try the MC method again.

[paulraphael]

Jo, do you have a recommendation for carnarolli from Amazon? I get mine from Eataly in NYC (love it ... haven't looked at other risotto rices since) but it would be nice to have other sources.

 

The pressure cooker rocks. 

 

This formula has worked great for me (adapted from MC, Marcella Hazan, and others):

 

400g / 100% Rice (any short grain rice high in amylopectin*)
40g / 10% Oil or Butter
80g / 20% Shallots or Onion
900g –1100g / 225–275% Liquid (stock—at least 80%, remainder—vegetable juice, wine, fortified wine, water)** 1000g / 250% is a good starting point.
80-200g / 20-50% Aged Cheese (parmegian, asiago, gouda, etc.)
24g / 6% Butter, cubed
Salt, Pepper, Vinegar

 

-sweat onion/shallot in oil or butter in pressure cooker until translucent
-add rice and stir until translucent, about 2 min.
-add liquids and turn up heat. lock lid but do not pressurize. when steam shows that liquids are boiling, pressurize to 15psi and turn down the heat for minimum evaporation
-cook 5.5  to 9 minutes. less for al dente, more for soft. 8 minutes is a good starting point. Start timing when cooker reaches full pressure.
-depressurize with valve or cold water.
-if risotto is still a little wet, excess moisture will absorb on its own. if there’s a lot of remaining liquid, finish uncovered on the stove, stirring over medium heat. if risotto seems dry or undercooked, add more liquid and finish on stove, stirring over medium heat.
-stir in butter and cheese, then adjust seasoning to taste with salt, pepper, vinegar.

[andiesenji]

This is the brand of carnaroli "extra" I currently have on hand - the expiration date is 2018 and it states it is aged one year.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Jo, do you have a recommendation for carnarolli from Amazon? I get mine from Eataly in NYC (love it ... haven't looked at other risotto rices since) but it would be nice to have other sources.

 

The pressure cooker rocks. 

 

This formula has worked great for me (adapted from MC, Marcella Hazan, and others):

 

400g / 100% Rice (any short grain rice high in amylopectin*)

40g / 10% Oil or Butter

80g / 20% Shallots or Onion

900g –1100g / 225–275% Liquid (stock—at least 80%, remainder—vegetable juice, wine, fortified wine, water)** 1000g / 250% is a good starting point.

80-200g / 20-50% Aged Cheese (parmegian, asiago, gouda, etc.)

24g / 6% Butter, cubed

Salt, Pepper, Vinegar

 

-sweat onion/shallot in oil or butter in pressure cooker until translucent

-add rice and stir until translucent, about 2 min.

-add liquids and turn up heat. lock lid but do not pressurize. when steam shows that liquids are boiling, pressurize to 15psi and turn down the heat for minimum evaporation

-cook 5.5  to 9 minutes. less for al dente, more for soft. 8 minutes is a good starting point. Start timing when cooker reaches full pressure.

-depressurize with valve or cold water.

-if risotto is still a little wet, excess moisture will absorb on its own. if there’s a lot of remaining liquid, finish uncovered on the stove, stirring over medium heat. if risotto seems dry or undercooked, add more liquid and finish on stove, stirring over medium heat.

-stir in butter and cheese, then adjust seasoning to taste with salt, pepper, vinegar.

 

I have never tried carnarolli but I'm thinking I would like to.

[weinoo]

Paul - I've had good luck with some of the easier to find brands - at Dipalo's, Buon Italia, Fairway, etc.  They come in a brick, until the bag is opened. Just look for the ones with the expiration date farthest into the future.

 

I've used the brand that Andie pictures above - it's great and available on Amazon, but expensive at over $10 a pound. The stuff I get at DiPalo's is probably $5 a kilo.

 

And as wonderful as the pressure cooker method might be, I still don't think it's as good as the old-fashioned stove-top method, and just as time consuming.

 

By the way, if you want to use up arborio, but don't want to use it for risotto, it makes a great non-dairy thickener for soups that are going to be pureed.

[gfweb]

I buy mine from Amazon too and unlike any other rice I buy,  it comes vacuum packed. I wonder if this is to retard water absorption. If so, keeping an opened bag frozen ought to make it continue to perform well.

[weinoo]

As long as you freeze it airtight or vacuum packed. Freezing sucks moisture out too.

[gfweb]

I was thinking that  freezing would not let moisture in

Edited January 31, 2015 by gfweb (log)

[andiesenji]

Just vacuum seal it and store at room temp.  This is the recommendation from the folks who list criteria for long-term storage of staples.

 

"Rice and grains without high fat content should be stored in an air-tight container at room temp.  Whole grains and seeds with high fat content, barley, rye, wheat, corn, etc., should be stored in freezer in air-tight containers to retard spoilage/rancidity."

[weinoo]

This is one of the brands I buy at DiPalo's. Obviously, this is Vialone Nano, but other risotto rices are available from them as well.

 

It is $5 for a kilo.

 

 

 

[nickrey]

Check out the Risotto thread for a discussion of this and many other issues.

 

After using all three different types of rice to make risotto, I observed that the fluid uptake varied between the different types of rice and that the end product varied in terms of bite.

 

The response from Scarpetta was that "here in Italy Arborio and Carnaroli are generally used when preparing meat risottos or plain milanese and piedmontese white risotto with truffles. Vialone Nano is preferred for vegetable and seafood risottos. It does absorb more liquid and has a slightly different bite. In my opinion it's also a little tastier than the other two. Of course, all three can be used for any risotto with good results."

 

​When you cook risotto, no matter which rice is used, you need to taste to see when the correct amount of bite is reached. It also needs to be rested before being served so stopping just slightly before your preferred texture is best.

[Porthos]

So Cortina's is now closed on Sunday. My DW found an Italian Deli that I will be near Tuesday. Carnaroli is still what I want to try next. I don't make risotto very often but now I am on a quest.

 

Nick,  Thanks for the link.