The Go-To

Everyone has that recipe that is a real crowd pleaser. You know, the one that you can make in a pinch and have made what-seems-like-100s-of-times, and it is always works, no matter what. For me it is risotto.
I have made it with both white and red wine, chicken and vegetable stocks, different times of onions, different variations of spices thrown it at various times and of course, different types and portions of cheese. Tonight I am going to share my absolute favorite way to enjoy this Italian comfort food, because I might just go there and say it will be the best risotto you will eat. (I am just that confident.)
For me, risotto embodies the slow-food movement and what I enjoy best about cooking. The ingredients list is minimal (lil butter, onion, broth, wine, parm & spice) and you can change the recipe based on the season and what is fresh locally. Making risotto for me is romantic since it needs lots of love and attention as you make it, much like how you love and nuture a relationship. This is the way we should eat. I think that if we even spent half of the time it took to prepare a meal (shopping, preparation, etc.) we would be a much healthier and happier culture. By simply taking more time in our lives to appreciate food, taste it, and enjoy it with others (and not in front of the TV, or on the road, or at a desk) issues of weight and quick-fix diet plans would not be as prevalent. Alright, getting off of my soapbox... let's get down to business!
This risotto based on the bible's basic recipe (pg. 105 of the Alice Water's cookbook). You start by melting a couple tablespoons of butter in a heavy bottomed pan. I love this pan for risotto (and so much more) because you really need something with high edges but enough square feet on the bottom in order for the food to actually cook. Once the butter is melted, I throw in a large coarsely-chopped onion (the more onion the better I think, it really just depends on your texture preference, more onion= more interesting texture). I prefer Walla-Walla's but often I find that the sweetness and taste is not worth the extra dollar, so I usually use whatever I have on hand, rather it is white, yellow, or whatever, just nothing rotten. With that add a bunch of freshly minced rosemary (my favorite spice). You want it chop it fine enough so that it won't be wirey in your mouth. Plus this spice is best when cooked and can really enhance a dish. If you don't have fresh, dried is fine, it is just a bit harder to mince, so it will take some patience.
As the onions are cooking you want to open a bottle of white wine, and pour yourself a glass. Once you have done that (and had a few sips), heat up a separate pan to warm a carton of vegetable broth (appx. 5 cups). It will take about 10 min for the onions to become translucent, which is ample time to enjoy your wine a bit and broth going. Once the onions have turned, add 1 and a ½ cups of rice (I usually use Arborio). It will take 4-5 min for the rice to turn translucent. Time now to add the wine- I usually add a generous 1/2 bottle of wine because it really give the risotto more flavor, but you can always substitute wine for broth.
Now for the TLC part of the endeavor. When you start pouring the wine, I would only pour 1/4 of the bottle at a time (so two separate rounds) and then while stirring, make sure the liquid is absorbed before pouring anything else. Do not let the rice stick to the bottom of the pan. Care for your rice, if it burns or sticks it’s going to be rubbish.
Then, over the next 15-20 min, pour some warmed vegetable broth in 1/2 cup increments (no need to measure, just eyeball), making sure the rice doesn't dry out-- so like every 2 minutes or so. I like to have a spoon on hand to taste after 10 min. Once you have reached your desired rice consistency and the liquid is mostly absorbed (think similar to al dente pasta), add 1 tablespoon of butter, letting it melt along the sides, and add a 1/3 or 1/2 cup of grated parmesan stirring all of it up, and turning off the heat.

Voila. Risotto.

I like to plate it with a spring of fresh rosemary and serve it alongside some roasted asparagus. Sometimes it is quite lovely to add asparagus (or squash, or zucchini, or mushrooms, or carrots or whatever your heart desires and what the season brings) to the actual risotto by first half-roasting it in the oven, chopping it up, and adding it at some point during the broth addition phase, but you can also fully roast it and add it at the end with the parm and butter. (The picture above is with roasted asparagus chopped up and mixed in with the risotto in the last step.)
I hope you all enjoy this risotto and see that it is not complicated to make at all. Tonight, I had some lovely girlfriends over for some wild mushroom risotto with a side of roasted zucchini and carrots. It was delish!

Total Prep and Cook Time: 1 hour & maybe 15 min.
Appx Cost: $15-$20 + bottle of white wine ($10-$15)