Risotto

Here are seven tips to help you make a good risotto.

1. Rice, don't use long-grain rice it simply won't come out. Italian rice, mainly Carnaroli, Vialone Nano and Arborio, absorb a lot of liquid (flavors) while maintaining their shape and firmness. Further more they release starch while cooking which, together with the other ingredients, make a cream.

2. Onions even if you don't like them don't omit them! They give a base to the risotto, but not an onion flavor in the finished product. I use them even if my guest don't like onions and they've never complained, cause they don't taste them.

3. Broth, use good broth as the risotto can only be as good as its ingredients. Making broth is easy to do and homemade broth gives great results.

4. Wine, don't worry the alcohol cooks out and so no one is going to be under the influence from eating risotto. Like onions, the wine makes up a part of the base flavor in many risotti so choose a good one and use it unless for medical reasons or otherwise you are just simply against the consumption of alcohol in any form.

5. Overcooking, don't do it. A good risotto will have rice which is firm to the bite it shouldn't be a bowl of mush!

6. Soupy risotto is another common mistake. Risotto should be fairly dry and when you serve it to your guest it should maintain its shape and not flatten out in the bowl.

7. Serve it hot as soon as it is ready, because the rice will continue absorbing liquids even when you have turned it off. If you let he risotto stand for a short time before serving you'll find that it has changed considerably.