Italian risotto

[finrod]

The basics were given to me by an Italian girl in Brighton about twenty years ago.

 

Ingredients

 

Italian short grain brown rice

Vegetable stock

white or red wine (up to ½ pint)

peppers (any colour - a variety makes for an attractive presentation)

mushrooms (chestnut, or closed cap are good)

any other appropriate fresh veg - peas, courgettes, etc

onions

oregano (quite a bit, say half a lorry-load)

basil (and any other herbs, according to taste)

chilli powder (a hint, or according to taste)

saffron (hint)

fresh black pepper

cheese (say 2 oz per person)

olive oil (preferably extra virgin)

 

You are at liberty to put in whatever you wish, just don't sue me.

Chop onions, fry gently in olive oil in a deep pan. In the meantime, boil a kettle and dissolve stock in a jug. When the onions are cooked, add rice and mix well with oil and onions (yes that's right, before you add the stock). Then add stock gradually as you go. Add wine, herbs and spices. Chop peppers and add. Likewise with mushrooms and other veg. Grate cheese and put to one side. Cook gently so that the rice absorbs the flavour of the stock, herbs etc. Gradually add liquid as required. When the risotto is done, add the cheese and mix in well. You may also add some olive oil at this point. Eat and then sigh contentedly. Or alternatively, when on one occasion I under-estimated the strength of the chilli, my girlfriend went to the chip shop.

[angerball]

Yum - sounds delicious. I'll have to try this sometime, as I love risotto! I've only ever made it once, and it was very, very basic - with just cheese, stock, and wine. All I remember was getting fed up with having to constantly stand there and stir it.

[Adam]

Sounds very good!

[finrod]

Yum - sounds delicious. I'll have to try this sometime, as I love risotto! I've only ever made it once, and it was very, very basic - with just cheese, stock, and wine. All I remember was getting fed up with having to constantly stand there and stir it.

Thanks for your comments - this recipe, on a gentle heat, should not need constant stirring. As with all recipes, it is not a tablet of stone - you can basically add whatever takes your fancy. I think you can substitute turmeric for the rather expensive saffron. Good hard mature cheeses are best. The quality of the stock is also important.

[poppy]

Eat and then sigh contentedly. Or alternatively, when on one occasion I under-estimated the strength of the chilli, my girlfriend went to the chip shop.

 

 

I'm going to try this tonight, sounds yummy.

[ValenCina]

I suggest a further passage: right after you've added rice, pour some wine and don't add stock until it has completely dried. White wine is good in most cases - with vegetables, mushrooms or cheese - but red is ideal when you use sausages or other kinds of red meat.

 

And if you feel adventurous, try risotto with strawberries or oranges and some light cheese. Not very traditional but still yummy!