Risotto is a very popular North Italian dish made of a special starchy type of rice “Arborio”.  The basic rule for risotto is a creamy texture and al dente rice. Al dente means that a rice grain should be slightly resistant in the center when it is chewed. For the extra viscosity, the risotto is cooked slowly with broth which has to be added in small portions and stirred constantly until absorbed.  The best broth to use for risotto is the chicken broth.

Our risotto is made with mushrooms and peas which is one of the most popular variations of this dish.

 

Ingredients:

• 6 cups chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb white mushrooms
• 1 medium white or yellow onion
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 lb frozen green peas, thawed
• 4 Tbsp cold butter
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

 

Cooking Directions:

1. Put a saucepan with broth on a low heat that the broth boils slowly during the whole process.
2. Slice the mushrooms thinly, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and saute the mushrooms for 4-5 minutes or until they are soft. Remove the mushrooms with all liquid from the pan and set aside.
3. Add a remaining tablespoon of the olive oil to the pan, the finely chopped onion and saute over medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent. It should just lose color, but not change it.
4. Add the rice into the pan, stir it to cover with the oil and cook for about 2 minutes. Ideally, the rice becomes pale and golden from the outside, and the core remains white. Then, pour in the wine and stir continuously until the wine is fully absorbed.
5. Once the rice has absorbed the wine, start adding the hot broth.  Pour 1/2 cup of the broth at a time in a quick circular motion into the pan with rice stirring continuously with a large wooden spoon until the liquid is absorbed; then add another portion. 
6. When about 2/3 of the broth is added to the rice, add prepared mushrooms and thawed green peas. Stir with the rice and continue adding the remaining broth. The whole process of adding the broth and cooking the rice should take about 15-20 minutes.
7. After that, remove the pan from the heat and leave it for one minute. Then, add small cubes of the cold butter and stir it in to add homogeneity to the risotto.
8. Stir in the grated cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the risotto immediately on warm plates.