Risotto

[Mudpuppie]

Daniel Boulud has an interesting lemon-lime-asparagus version on his web site, for spring.

Link!

Please....

[Squeat Mungry]

My risottos never turn out as well as the great ones I've had in restaurants.

This surprises me, because it is the exact opposite of my own experience. There is something invariably off about either the texture, the temperature or both in the restaurant risottos. (I have heard from chef friends that they are notoriously difficult to maintain for service, and my experience bears this out.) I'd much rather do this dish at home and eat it at once when it's just done.

[agnolottigirl]

Sorry, mudpuppie!

Try this: http://www.danielnyc.com/recipes/lemonrisotto.html

Worth scouting the rest of the site--there are a bunch more recipes, though this is the only one I've made so far. It was fantastic. . . also made it with shrimpies in addition to citrus and asparagus, which may have been even better.

[Mudpuppie]

My risottos never turn out as well as the great ones I've had in restaurants.

This surprises me, because it is the exact opposite of my own experience. There is something invariably off about either the texture, the temperature or both in the restaurant risottos. (I have heard from chef friends that they are notoriously difficult to maintain for service, and my experience bears this out.) I'd much rather do this dish at home and eat it at once when it's just done.

Hmm. Maybe I just like horrible risotto? Maybe I'm actually an expert risotto maker and didn't know it.

Thanks for the link, agnolottigirl. (That has to be one of the hardest usernames to spell.)

[Susan in FL]

This is one thing I will say without reservation. My risottos are wonderful... one of the best things I cook. I think my all-time favorite is Roberto Donna's recipe for white truffle risotto (however, I do add the rice more gradually than he does), but I have several recipes that I love, including a crabmeat and basil risotto. I do think that Carnaroli is better than Arborio rice, but both are good. And, I differ about the homemade stock being better than canned broth. For us, canned low-salt chicken broth is better than homemade because it is "cleaner" and the broth or stock has only a supporting role to the rice, which is the star of the show.

[Mudpuppie]

And, I differ about the homemade stock being better than canned broth. For us, canned low-salt chicken broth is better than homemade because it is "cleaner" and the broth or stock has only a supporting role to the rice, which is the star of the show.

America's Test Kitchen recently did a taste test with different kinds of broth. Swanson's vegetable stock won. (Can't remember if they included homemade stock in the tatse test, but I'm thinking they did.)

[viaChgo]

And, I differ about the homemade stock being better than canned broth.  For us, canned low-salt chicken broth is better than homemade because it is "cleaner" and the broth or stock has only a supporting role to the rice, which is the star of the show.

America's Test Kitchen recently did a taste test with different kinds of broth. Swanson's vegetable stock won. (Can't remember if they included homemade stock in the tatse test, but I'm thinking they did.)

I recall that test...I'm going to have to try to dig it up. However, I think I remember Swanson's stock to be the winner of the test of commercial broths but still was a distant second to homemade.

[...tm...]

America's Test Kitchen recently did a taste test with different kinds of broth. Swanson's vegetable stock won. (Can't remember if they included homemade stock in the tatse test, but I'm thinking they did.)

I've seen this praise of Swanson's on the show a couple of times (although they do always say homemade is better). The thing that really bothers me is that every time they point out that what people like is directly related to the amount of sodium in the broth, but don't ever hint to what this means, like "this broth might taste good now, but if you boil it down for a while it will taste like a salt lick."

[Betts]

I adore risotto also and personally, I've had the worst risottos in restauants - under or overcooked, bland or over stuffed with too many condments.

My secrets- low salt chix broth in the box, augmented with water as needed, the best parmesan and plenty of it at the end, a dash or two of tabasco to sharpen the "savoryness" but does not add heat.

Favorite condiments to add - blanched asparagus or tomatoes, corn, lime and basil, baby peas and mushrooms.

I do not want any seafood/ fish flavors in my risotto EVER.

[ludja]

I do not want any seafood/ fish flavors in my risotto EVER.

Fair enough; for as they say, each to his own...

But your comment reminded me of the only great risotto I've happened to have in a restauant-- a really great Risotto ai Frutti di Mare in a small restaurant in SF. Can not remember the name of the restaurant, but it was owned by a woman/chef who had had a restaurant in North Beach for many years; then moved her restaurant to the Marina district. It was cooked perfectly--not over or under cooked, not gummy or lukewarm which has been the main problem in restaurant risottos I've run into, and the seafood was fresh and perfectly cooked....

Like many others mentioned above, I can always count on an excellent risotto when I make it at home. I've only used Arborio rice to date, but I need to try the Carnaroli also. I really love adding that last knob of butter just before the risotto is finished...

[JennyUptown]

I do not want any seafood/ fish flavors in my risotto EVER.

I'm with you on that one.

[kendrabail]

One of the best risotto I have ever made is a simple shrimp risotto. The key to creating a full flavored dish is to make your own shrimp stock using a standard mirepoix and shrimp shells. Cook this for at least 2 hours, strain and season. Throw this mixture into your risotto and you will have a deliciously flavored dish--nothing bland here. For extra creaminess, sometimes I add about 2 tablespoons of cream. I go easy on the cheese in this dish since it does not pair as nicely with seafood as it does veggies.

Also, deglazing the pan with white wine is essential to a flavorful risotto.

For extra flavor in a simple risotto (for a side dish) saute up some chopped proscuitto or other Italian ham with your onions etc.. before adding the rice. It's very nice, and never bland.

The biggest mistakes I've found with poor tasting risottos is no flavor. Try these tricks to avoid this!

"My doctor suggested that I stop having intimate dinners for four. Unless there are three other people." --Orson Welles

[scamhi]

my favorites

savoy cabbage and pancetta

squid chopped fine cooked slowly in tomato puree with garlic and onion this then added after rice and sofrito have been coated.

both recipes from Marcella Hazan's Italian Kitchen

[ludja]

my favorites

savoy cabbage and pancetta

squid chopped fine cooked slowly in tomato puree with garlic and onion this then added after rice and sofrito have been coated.

both recipes from Marcella Hazan's Italian Kitchen

Thanks for mentioning and recommending the squid risotto from Hazan's book; I have it but the recipe wasn't on my 'radar screen'. It sounds excellent and I like having additional ideas for slow cooking squid dishes.

Cabbage and pancetta sounds great too. I use pancetta very often as a base for vegetable risottos. Proscuitto is nice too as kendrabail mentions. Trader Joes sells little proscutto pieces (1/4 " or so) that are handy to use.