How to make the Perfect Risotto

Here are the 7 steps to make an unforgettable risotto! Anyone who loves cooking certainly in the course of his life has ventured into the preparation of a risotto, but have you ever wondered how to make a perfect risotto? So let’s get started! 1. The broth If you want an impeccable risotto, forget about bought broth, just prepare a homemade broth. For example, boil celery, carrots and onion in water with salt and pepper for only 10 minutes, so as to release all the aromas and not muddying  the water. So, remember: for a great risotto you need a great broth!

2. Toast the rice. The first phase for the preparation of each risotto is roasting, a fundamental step that allows the grain to maintain its consistency and compactness, and not give that effect of boiled rice. Toasting the rice means sautéing it in the saucepan for a few minutes, until it turns white.

3. Deglaze the rice This step is very simple but at the same time important: deglazing the rice means adding wine (or beer, in case you make a beer risotto) immediately after the roasting phase. The alcohol will balance with its acidity the flavor of the risotto, it will also dissolve any fats, giving life to a creamy risotto. Remember: wine must always be cold!

4. How to cook rice Here we are at the most important stage: cooking rice. The cooking time of a risotto is from 15 to 18 minutes. You have to pour the broth gradually into the saucepan, making sure that it is always boiling and using a whisk (and not a wooden spoon!) to turn the rice: in this way the starch released by the grains will whip more easily and we will have an even creamier result!

5. The ingredients of rice
During cooking, usually the main ingredients of our risotto should also be inserted. There is no general rule, but usually if it is vegetables that we want to cook or dissolve in rice, these should be put immediately at the beginning of cooking. If, on the other hand, we have an ingredient of which we want to preserve the crunchiness and its cooking, such as meat, fish or other, we will cook it separately, inserting it only at the end of preparation.

6. Stir the rice.
Creaming is the phase that immediately follows cooking. As soon as the rice has arrived at the right cooking, turn off the heat and remove it from the heat. At this point add a few knobs of cold butter (even better if ice cream) and cheese, and turn until the elements melt well. It is very important to balance the doses well to avoid having a risotto that is too liquid, or on the contrary, too solid and compact.

7. The plating.
Even the eye wants its part! For an excellent risotto, it also takes an excellent plating. Give vent to the imagination using pastry cutter, flat plates with decorations or holsters. For this step there are no rules, but only your taste and imagination!