Risotto is an Italian rice dish, typically including some vegetables and a meat, and is intended to be creamy and comforting and slightly al dente. Although risotto is finding a place at fancy and high end restaurants, it’s really down home Italian cooking, often as a first course.

Risotto is made with medium to short grain white rice due to the way they absorb liquid and release starch, making a perfect stickiness. The method is typically the same for all risotto. The rice is first cooked briefly in a soffritto of onion and butter or olive oil to coat each grain in a film of fat, called tostatura; white or redwine is added and has to be absorbed by the grains. When it has evaporated, the heat is raised to medium high and very hot stock is gradually added in small amounts while stirring gently, almost constantly: stirring loosens the starch molecules from the outside of the rice grains into the surrounding liquid, creating a smooth creamy-textured liquid. At that point it is taken off the heat for the mantecatura when diced cold butter is vigorously stirred in to make the texture as creamy and smooth as possible. It may be removed from the heat a few minutes earlier, and left to cook with its residual heat.

Risotto should be eaten right away.

I personally love the process of making a risotto. I love the time, the breakdown of rice, the way the creaminess builds. To me cooking is an expression. I however, don’t always have time for all that expression and on those days I turn to Lazy Man’s Risotto, because honestly, I don’t have to have two hands for most of the cooking and the recipe has quite a bit of time that is hands free. It is still creamy and comforting. This recipe will still take the time, and follows the general method, by cooking the rice first to soak in a soffritto of butter and onion. One difference is that this recipe calls for a long grain rice. This recipe takes some of the guess work out of a risotto and so it is an awesome recipe for beginners.

The recipe yields a hearty, creamy rice dish with excellent flavors. Try it!