Risotto - The Basic Recipe

Name: Risotto - The Basic Recipe
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 25 l good quality, lightly salted chicken stock; 50 butter; 1 white onion, very finely chopped; 1 Zweige rosemary, to taste; 400 risotto rice (ideally aged carnaroli superfino); 125 ml dry white wine; salt; black pepper, freshly ground; 90 cold butter, cut into cubes (for the mantecatura/finishing off); 100 Grana Padano or parmesan cheese (for the mantecatura)

©Herbert Lehmann

Risotto - The Basic Recipe

Risotto

Turning a simple rice dish into a culinary delight? Only Italians can do that. Severin Corti reveals the secrets of the art of risotto preparation.

Severin Corti

Ingredients (4 servings)
25	l	good quality, lightly salted chicken stock
50		butter
1		white onion, very finely chopped
1	twigs	rosemary, to taste
400		risotto rice (ideally aged carnaroli superfino)
125	ml	dry white wine
		salt
		black pepper, freshly ground
90		cold butter, cut into cubes (for the mantecatura/finishing off)
100		Grana Padano or parmesan cheese (for the mantecatura)

Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a saucepan and simmer gently. Alongside it, heat a thick-bottomed saucepan and prepare the soffrito. To do this, melt the butter, add the onion and cook gently until soft and translucent. Do not allow it to colour.
After about five minutes, increase the heat slightly and add the rice grains. Stir with a wooden spoon until the grains are well blended and heated. The grains must be hot before deglazing with the wine.
Pour in the wine and allow to evaporate, stirring continuously, until no more steam rises. Only now pour in a ladle of stock and, if desired, add the rosemary sprig. From this point, it takes about 18 minutes for the risotto to be ready to serve.
Keep stirring with the wooden spoon. The consistency should be liquid all the time, the rice should not dry out. It should always be just covered, but not "under water". Therefore, do not add more stock until the rice has absorbed some of the liquid. It should be bubbling and stirring all the time so that it doesn't stick.
After about 15 minutes, check whether the rice is soft, it should still be a little firm to the bite in the middle. When it is almost cooked, reduce the liquid inflow so that the rice can absorb the butter and cheese well without becoming too liquid.
Remove the rice from the heat before the Manteca Tura and let it rest for a good minute so that it cools down a bit. Now stir in the butter cubes first and then the cheese as vigorously and quickly as possible so that the liquid emulsifies with the butter and cheese and forms a creamy consistency. Stir in some more stock if needed.
The ideal consistency is reached when the rice makes waves "all 'Onda". To do this, tilt the pan to the side and let the rice hit the wall of the pan. Season with salt and pepper, remove the rosemary and serve as soon as possible.

Severin Corti

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