Well, this is my first attempt at risotto, which is essentially a savory rice pudding.  I cobbled together this recipe from a number of online articles.  It worked pretty well, so I’m jotting it down here so I won’t forget it completely.  In case you’re wondering, that’s the reason I keep posting recipes here.  It’s not the focus of the site, but since changing my eating habits is a part of liberating my life, I figure that recipes are fair game.

I served this with the Ragù alla Puttafalsa.  John (our housemate) didn’t think the two dishes worked well together, but I was pretty happy with the combo.  He also thought that the gremolata I served with the ragu clashed with it.  I’ll agree that it probably worked better with the risotto than the ragu, though again I liked it with both.  In the future though, I’d probably use beef stock instead of poultry when I’m going to serve this alongside a beef dish.

Hardware:

• Sauté pan (very large)
• Spatula

Software:

• 2 cups Short-Grain Rice (Arborio, sushi, sweet, sticky, etc.)
• 2 tbsp. Butter
• 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 medium Onion (diced)
• 2 tbsp. Garlic (minced)
• 4 tbsp. fresh Parsley (crumbled, divided in half)
• 1 cup White Wine
• 6-8 cups of Liquid-
• Broth or Stock (Chicken, Turkey, Beef, Vegetable)
• Water (I used 4 cups of stock to 3 cups of water)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese (shredded)
• 1/2 cup Mushrooms (sautéed and chopped)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation:

Sweat onions and garlic in the butter and oil over medium-low heat until translucent.  Add the rice and half the parsley.  Boost the heat to medium-high, stirring frequently to prevent burning.  When the rice just begins to toast, add half of the wine.  Stir constantly until the wine is absorbed.

Add the liquid in half-cup doses, stirring frequently to provent burning and to help liberate starch from the rice grains.  As you progress, the liquid will get thicker and thicker.  When you have added all but two cups of liquid, add the rest of the wine and the mushrooms.

Keep stirring very frequently as the thickening liquid can easily stick and burn.  Continue adding liquid in half-cup doses until the rice is soft, but still has a bit of resistance (al dente).  You don’t want crunchy, just a texture like firm bread.

Once al dente is reached, stop adding liquid and wait for the liquid in the pan to thicken to a nice caramel-like  consistency.  Add the parmesan in two doses, making sure it’s fully melted before adding more.  Finally stir in the remaining parsley and serve.