Why stir risotto constantly

Think butter and grated parmesan, but never, never oil. By Lane Nieset Updated August 05, Save FB Tweet More. Seafood Risotto. All rights reserved.

Chuckles Supporting Member. Joined Aug 20, Messages 2, Reaction score This thread is a good example of why I don't like making risotto at work anymore. Everybody has a strong opinion for the initial steps and wants to tell you all about it even if they are a teenager from the sticks. They rarely can talk with any authority about what it is supposed to be when it is actually done.

Just don't add so much liquid that it will have to over cook or scorch to be ready and save your brain for what to do after you taste it. I didn't realize how much resentment I have harboring over risotto. Venting over.

I don't pretend to know everything, but your technique of multi-tasking and stirring when it needs it is on par with most kitchens. Essentially when you stir it, you're releasing the starch which makes vialone nano naturally creamy. That's the whole "science" behind the stirring. Risotto is a grain, which will soak up liquid no matter what you do. The stirring just makes it creamy. But no one in a professional kitchen has time to stand over a stove and focus on one thing for two hours.

If I'm wrong, I want a job there. Supporting Member. Joined Dec 3, Messages 8, Reaction score 2, Location south florida. Geo87 Banned. Joined Sep 28, Messages Reaction score 0. NO ChoP! Old Head. You stir continually to ensure that the grains are evenly cooked.

The answer is yes, you stir continually. Regardless of the pan or heat source, the top, bottom, sides will cook and absorb at different rates. The added weight of the bottom grains will cook under pressure Again, stir risotto constantly. Crothcipt Senior Member.

Joined Jan 16, Messages 3, Reaction score 2. This reminds me of a cook that kept shocking rice, 50 but not mixing the rice when in the water. The water creates a pocket of hot water and isn't cooled even when left there for 15 min.

This also happens in a pan, granted at smaller lvls. You can see this happen with thick sauces. If you want a hot sauce alfredo you have to make sure it is boiling all through out. If you can find it, buy it. You will not regret it, especially if you have only ever had arborio rice in the past. The preferred risotto rice in the Veneto region of Italy, this is my second favourite variety.

In my experience, it is only slightly less forgiving and less starchy then carnaroli. It makes for a lovely, creamy risotto. If it weren't for the rice grains cooking up much plumper than the other varieties, I doubt I could taste the difference in a blind taste-test.

Grown in the Piedmonte in Italy, Baldo is not as starchy as other varieties and thus produces a less creamy risotto where the grains hold more of their structure. I have read that it does not scorch as readily if toasted, but I have never had a problem with scorched rice so I'm not sure about that benefit.

I need to experiment more with Baldo to really get a feel for how it is best used. Why is this important? Italian risotto rice has a higher proportion of amylopectin, a type of sticky starch that is vital for the final creamy texture of a great risotto. Long-grain rice like basmati has a higher proportion of the less-sticky starch amylose. I use a mixture of both butter and olive oil to start the risotto, and I always finish off with only butter.

I use high-quality grass-fed butter as alongside the stock, the butter flavour comes through in a risotto. Never finish a risotto with oil after it has cooked. It will just become greasy and unpleasant and ruin any chance for the creaminess you are seeking.

Italian cooks have a passionate aversion to dairy being used in seafood recipes, but I am not Italian and this is one convention I'm firmly against. Butter is a perfect complement to seafood risottos using lobster, crab, shrimp, prawns, langostino, or mussels.

As is Parmigiano-Reggiano much of the time. If you wish to be a purist, use only olive oil with seafood risottos, but I recommend breaking out of that mould after you have experimented a few times to see how you personally feel about the taste. I always use my 4.

Do not use anything smaller. And do not use Teflon or non-stick. Then turn on the heat and proceed. This is a crucial first step to a creamy risotto, which is your ultimate goal. I do not know the science behind this. You do not want crisped or browned onions. You want them to emulsify and completely disappear into the risotto. It happens almost like magic right towards the end, usually just after you've decided they won't and that you've done something wrong.

As the onions turn translucent, add the rice and slowly tickle the grains around the pot with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula. Do not brown the rice or allow the onions to brown either. Occasionally one or two pieces of onion will brown during this step, but this will not ruin the dish.

Lower the heat slightly and continue. The rice will start to crackle and make a low popping sound, as well as an infrequent faint whistling noise. This is what you are waiting for. It will only take minutes and then you must immediately add your wine. I always add white wine to my risotto.

I actually tried red wine a couple of times to see how it would do -- I honestly hated it. The rice grains turned an unappetizing grey colour and the flavour of red wine was too pronounced in the finished product. But maybe I'm mistaken and someone can point me to a fantastic red wine risotto? I am always open to trying new things and admitting I was wrong.

Some chefs leave out wine entirely claiming it can become bitter. I have never personally experienced that bitterness, but if you do, the culprit may be the wine. So try it without next time. I have made risottos with and without white wine, but I very much prefer it with. I like a hint of acidity and freshness in the background, and this is what wine brings. I have tried risotto with freshly squeezed lemon and once with apple cider vinegar instead of white wine -- it's not the worst thing, but it can quickly overpower the other flavours and add too much acidity.

I'm not a purist when it comes to wine variety. I prefer reds for drinking so I only really ever have Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs for whites and this is all I have ever used in my risotto as a result.

I'm sure it's not the best possible choice or a traditional varietal, but I love the flavour. In any case, the wine is added immediately after the risotto is suitably toasted and it is cooked off completely at a higher heat before you add your stock.

If you are not using wine, you would be immediately adding your hot stock after the toasting step. Do not use cold or room temperature stock. And keep in mind the ratio--about 4 cups of stock for every cup of arborio rice. Cook the Rice Till It's Mushy Like pasta, the rice should be al dente--just cooked, with a little bite to it. If you can mold a risotto into a shape yes, like some restaurants do you've cooked it too much.

Risotto should have body, but not be overly mushy and starchy. You're not making rice pudding! Use a Wide Pot If your pot is too wide, the rice will cook in a thin layer and won't be able to bump and grind enough to generate starch. Another problem: there will be hot and cold spots in your pot, so choose one that fits perfectly over your burner. Cook at Too Low a Heat Yes, risotto is supposed to be a slower cooking process; but if you cook it at too low a heat, it will never cook.