Risotto

idea

Hello everyone,

I'm asking for help from all you lovely people, as you all know lots about cooking and I know not much!

I have for the first time, made risotto from scratch tonight. I diligently followed the recipe and cooked the onion and garlic then added the rice with wine. Then I did as it said and added ladle by ladle of hot stock.

But....after the 20 minutes of adding the stock, the rice was no where near done. I ended up making loads more stock again and it took maybe another 20 minutes?

Where was I going wrong? I made it in a wok, should it have been a pan? Also, was it too hot and maybe all the stock evaporating?

Help! I really like risotto and would love to be able to cook it for myself, but what a faff stirring for all that time. Can anyone help me with this?

Thank you!

Idea x

Liz3yy

I make risotto from scratch regularly and it usually takes around 30 minutes.

I use a large saucepan with high sides. I fry the onion and some garlic first then add the rice. I fry the rice off then turn the heat down to as low as possible before adding the first ladleful of stock. I add the next ladleful once the mixture is too hard to stir easily.

The secret I find is to keep the heat really low, the risotto needs to be simmering very gently

Hope that helps

honeythewitch

Did you use brown rice? I find it takes much longer and needs a lower temperature.

Liz3yy

I would never use brown or plain white rice for risotto, you need arborio or similar rice that is specifically for risotto

idea

Thank you Liz3yy and honeythewitch. I think I now see where I went wrong, I did use arborio rice, but now I think I had the heat on too high.

It was obviously simmering too much! Hopefully next time it will work quicker if I keep the heat really low.

On the plus point, it did taste quite nice, but seemed like a lot of effort!

Linda32

I've made it before and it is a lot of faff. From what I remember and what you have found out that the rice part has to be on the lowest simmer and the stock kept hot.

If you have no objection to packet foods, then Uncle Bens do one and Tesco do a frozen one. I've had the Uncle Bens which are very nice.

honeythewitch

Liz3yy wrote: »

I would never use brown or plain white rice for risotto, you need arborio or similar rice that is specifically for risotto

It can be done with brown but its certainly not ideal because it doubles the stirring time. (I have substituted all sorts of things in my time) The cheapest "40p value" rice in the supermarkets works very well if it is all you have, and pudding rice better still.

prowla

Risotto simmering is just the odd bubble coming to the top.
You can top up with water (hot from the kettle).
The end result should have the consistency of rice pudding, not dry.

idea

Can I be a bit more dim? So when a recipe says 'simmer' does that mean not many bubbles? Or one or two bubbles? Or is there different simmers for different things?

Thanks prowla - your explanation is really useful.

No wonder I can't cook anything apart from bolognese sauce.

skintmum2012

Hi I make risotto a lot and I always use plain value white rice and its fine Noway I am shelling out for more expensive rice when its not needed. I would go with the fact you had it to hot to op a long slow cook is needed with risotto

VfM4meplse

Liz3yy wrote: »

I would never use brown or plain white rice for risotto, you need arborio or similar rice that is specifically for risotto

Agreed - it also makes damned fine rice pudding . I always make far too much risotto on purpose because the leftover (which is quite gluey when cold) makes yummy arancini.

skintmum2012 wrote: »

Hi I make risotto a lot and I always use plain value white rice and its fine Noway I am shelling out for more expensive rice when its not needed.

True risotto is creamy, for which you need proper super-starchy rice and not the addition of cream or egg. I agree arborio can be expensive, but the last time it was on offer at Lidl for £1 for a 1kg box I stocked up, dried foodstuffs last forever.