How do cooks prepare risotto in a restaurant?

Question

I'm not looking for a Risotto recipe. I make a pretty nice risotto, thank you very much.

But, making a risotto takes about 20 minutes. It seems unreasonable to me that a cook would start from scratch in a restaurant.

So how do they do it? There must be some pre-cooking involved, and then it's finished off when ordered in about 5 minutes.

Asked by Chris Cudmore

Answer

It's actually hard to hold when it's almost all the way cooked -- it'll start getting gluey on you if you let it cool off, but could start scorching on the bottom if it's not stirred, and get too runny if you keep adding stock.

I saw a show and Mario Bitali said that risotto isn't finicky in the middle -- so you can cook it part way, cool it down (I think he said he spread it on sheet pans to cool quickly), then can add hot stock and cook it from that point, so you've already got a 10 minute head start.

I've also been to a restaurant where it was only served on the hour and half hour.

(okay, I admit it ... it was on Martha Stewart, about 12 years ago ... I was living in Kentucky, and didn't have cable, so there weren't many options of what to watch in the morning while waiting for the others in my carpool)

Answered by Joe

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What is the difference between risotto rice and paella rice?

Question

My local supermarket stocks arborio and carnaroli rices for making risotto, and also stocks "paella rice". I have, in the past, used them interchangeably in both risottos and paellas. Wikipedia handily summarises the difference between carnaroli and arborio here, but I can't find a description of the differences between these and a paella rice (aside from country of origin).

Note: I'm aware that the rice is cooked differently in a paella compared to a risotto -- I'm asking about the differences in the rice itself, not the cooking method.

Asked by Ian Renton

Answer

'Paella rice' is not actually a variety of rice, but a category suitable, as the its name suggests, for making paella. Some common varieties are: Bahia, Balilla, Bomba, Senia, and Calasparra; the particular variety should be indicated on the packet that you choose.

These varieties differ from risotto rices, such as arborio and carnaroli, in not creating a creamy 'sauce' around the rice. Paella rice should stick together, but be distinct and not in a creamy 'sauce'.

Arborio rice has a creamy, chewy texture due to its higher amylopectin (one of two components in its starch) content. Paella rice absorbs more liquid than risotto rices, however it too would become 'creamy' if you stirred it like a risotto, since it also has a high starch content.

Answered by Sebiddychef

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What should I look for in a cooking pan for Risotto?

Question

I just moved across country and basically sold everything I own including my cooking pans. I used to use a medium-high sided two handled pan that I cannot find an image for to show you. It worked for my purposes but I am generally cooking risotto for six and it never held enough and I would end up with some of my grains still on the crunchy side. I tried a larger around pan and it would not heat evenly enough on a conventional range. In a moment of desperation I tried using a wok, that was not a good idea. In any case I find myself on the hunt for a good pan to use that will handle six servings and heat evenly, I know I could cook in batches but I am generally just trying to get dinner on the table.

I am also aware that pans are subjective but with such a price range difference out there I don't have the money to experiment.

Asked by Varuuknahl

Answer

I suggest getting a quality stainless clad saute pan or saucier. For years I made risotto in the All-Clad 3 qt. saute pan shown here:

Unless you're serving huge portions this is plenty of room for 6 servings of risotto. There are larger options available though, including a mammoth 14" 6 quart one.

This pan easily does 90% of the work in my kitchen, so at any price it carries its weight in the kitchen.

That said, this past Christmas I got the All-Clad 3 qt. copper-core saucier shown here:

It's a very close matchup, but this pan is perfect for making risotto. The higher sides are a definite benefit, but you don't sacrifice much in flat surface area. The copper core is amazingly responsive, noticeably more so than aluminum. It's obviously rather expensive, so if you're uncomfortable spending that much on a pan I'd suggest getting one of their regular 3 qt sauciers -- you'll spend at least half as much.

If I only had one pan in my kitchen though, I think I'd still go back to the saute pan above. Its versatility is just unmatched.

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Regarding your concerns that a wider pan won't heat as evenly, this is generally true for a cheaper pan. However, All-Clad pans use magic to bond a layer of aluminum (or copper) between a layer of magnetic stainless (exterior) and 18/10 stainless (interior). The end result is a very even heat which you can actually confirm with an infrared thermometer.

Answered by hobodave

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What factors do I need to consider to figure out if a particular set of toppings will work well on risotto?

Question

Sometimes, I like to experiment with the ingredients to use as toppings for risotto.

In order to avoid bad results, what should I consider when I choose the ingredients to use as toppings for risotto?

Asked by kiamlaluno

Answer

So risotto is pretty much a blank canvas, much like say rice or pasta.

So your first concern is simply to pick ingredients that go with each other. For example: tomato & corn risotto, good. Tomato and chocolate risotto: bad.

Second, you may want to choose a broth, cheese, and optional wine that goes well with your choice of main ingredients.

Third, because risotto is Italian in origin, the most certain combinations will be those classic Mediterranean flavors. You aren't going to go wrong with say asparagus and olives, or artichokes, peas and lemon. When you start making Thai risottos, you are farther out on a limb.

Finally, much of the pleasure of a risotto is in the rice itself, when properly prepared. That pleasure is fairly delicate in nature, so for maximum enjoyment you should choose reasonably delicate ingredients and/or use them in relatively small quantities.

Answered by Michael at Herbivoracious

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When making risotto, why fry the rice?

Question

When making risotto one of the first steps is to saute the rice in some oil for a few minutes (or until the rice is translucent).

What is happening when the rice is fried? What effect does this have, and what would happen if this step was omitted?

Answer

As I understand it, it's down to the flavour you get from frying the rice. However, it does also break down some of the starch which reduces the thickening it can do when the risotto cooks, which might cause a problem. I can attest to the flavour, but I've not done experiments about thickening.

Serious Eats had a good article on the topic though, in which such experiments were described. The solution in that was to wash the rice in the stock, then fry the rice, then add the stock containing all that undamaged free rice starch during cooking, thus giving you toasty flavour and creamy risotto with no questions asked. I haven't tried that, but it seems like a fairly sound idea to me.

http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/10/the-food-lab-the-science-of-risotto.html

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Scaling up a risotto recipe x4. Things to consider?

Question

I am making risotto for a Christmas dinner, serving 20 people. I plan to multiple the recipe by 3 or 4x. Since risotto is a challenging dish at the normal scale, how can I ensure getting good results when multiplying the recipe?

Answer

If you haven't done it before don't do this for Xmas day, it's not worth the risk. Always practise on less important occasions

You need a wider, rather than taller pot. Nearly a paella style pan. And a strong arm

Ingredients wise, I don't know of any magic scaling tricks for risotto

The hardest part is stirring enough, but not too much, and doing an even job of it

Probably easier to have two pots going at the same time, rather the one large pot. Then you can have two different flavours going!

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How should I prepare Risotto

Question

I've been watching a lot of Hells Kitchen, and one of the signature dishes that Chef Ramsay has the chefs prepare is Risotto. This seems like a simple enough dish but often times the seasoned chefs on the show get it wrong. I'd like to try making this dish at home, so what is the technique I should use to ensure a tasty final result?

Answer

One of my favorite recipes is Giada De Laurentis' Wild Mushroom with Peas. It's rather simple, but amazingly delicious.

The most common flubs when making a risotto are overcooking or dumping in all the liquid at once. I always use the wooden spoon test to determine when the risotto is finished.

First, stir often!

Periodically drag your spoon down the center of the pan as to part the risotto. If the path the spoon makes closes quickly then it isn't finished yet. If the part stays open, then you've overcooked it. Ideally it slowly oozes back together.

You're looking for two important things in a perfect risotto:

• Creamy
  • The finished risotto should be creamy, not runny, and not gummy. The spoon test takes care of this.
• Tender
  • The rice grains should be tender, not crunchy, and not mushy. You should taste frequently as you approach the end of the cooking time. You want the grains slightly al dente. You should know that you have rice in your mouth and not just a good tasting mystery-paste.

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How to make saffron really color my risotto?

Question

So I've recently bought some saffron (stems, not ground), then tried to make some Risotto with it. I got my water boiling and added about 5 stems to it. I didn't really measure the water because I can just eyeball it, I was making about a cup and a half of rice.

The saffron made the water just barely yellow. As I kept adding the water to the rice, I didn't really notice a change in color. So I added 5 more stems directly to the rice, and kept stirring. The thing never got as yellow as I wished or had seen in pictures. It actually almost didn't change in color by the time the risotto was done. So I gave up on making the classic milanaese risotto and added sun dried tomatoes and some mushrooms to it. It turned out really good, but by far not the color I wanted.

What did I do wrong?

Answer

How yellow were you expecting it? How much saffron did your recipe call for?

Generally, when a recipe calls for a "pinch" of saffron that can be anywhere from 15-20 stems (expensive, I know).

Saffron can take time to impart it's yellow coloring, and the depth of that yellow can vary based on the quality, age, or phase of the moon (not really). Some things you can try include:

• Soaking the saffron in hot water/stock for 20 minutes to an hour prior to adding.
• Grinding the saffron with a mortar/pestle
• Using more or a higher quality

Another thing to keep in mind is that a lot of images aren't purely saffron induced coloring. Often turmeric is used for an additional punch, or even food coloring. Here is an example of an accurate image of a saffron risotto.

Finally, your primary reason for using saffron should be for it's remarkable and unique flavor. The yellow is just a bonus. If you want more than what your batch can give you, well... cheat. :)

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