- Why keep the stock hot?
- If you pour cold liquid onto the rice, you cool down the cooking and 'shock' the rice: the outside disintegrates while the inside stays hard. Constant boiling is the secret.
- Should I stir continuously?
- Almost. Frequent stirring rubs the grains against each other, releasing starch (amylopectin), which makes it creamy even without cream.
- What does 'mantecatura' mean?
- This is the final step: removing from the heat and stirring in cold fat (butter/oil) and cheese, creating an emulsion and making the risotto glossy.
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Black Pudding and Chorizo Frittata
Tomato and Pepperoni Stromboli
Ginger japchae
Rustic mixed-in crackling scones
Cinnamon and Oat Bundt Cake
Garlic Infused Sweet Potatoes
Nutella & mascarpone layer cake
Cinnamon sugar pretzels
Rum & raisin cannoli
Oreo Macarons
Elk meat doughnuts (venison)
Greek spinach rice
Spiced cauliflower and pea samosas
Zesty honey and ginger lemonade
Khao soi (Northern Thai curry noodle soup)
Japanese natto with karashi mustard & spring onion
Malai Sondesh
Bicol Express with Coconut Milk
Galaktoboureko with lemon syrup
Broken wheat payasam
Creamy vegetable risotto
Risotto is not a 'rice side dish' but a technique. It's about continuously 'massaging' the starch out of the rice grains. This requires special high-starch rice (Arborio or Carnaroli) and the slow addition of liquid by the ladleful. The result is good when the rice is 'all'onda', meaning it waves in the bowl: swimming in creamy sauce, but the grain centres still have bite.
Ingredients
300
g
Arborio rice (risotto rice)
1.2
l
vegetable stock
1
pc
red onion
2
cloves
garlic
1
pc
courgette
2
pc
carrots
150
g
garden peas
100
ml
dry white wine (optional)
50
g
parmesan cheese (or vegan alternative)
30
ml
olive oil (plus a little butter for the end)
1
tsp
salt
0.5
tsp
ground black pepper
1
bunch
fresh parsley
Shopping List (0)
Equipment Needed
- Heavy-bottomed saucepan
- Another pot for the stock
- Wooden spoon (preferably with a hole in the middle for stirring)
- Ladle
Allergen Information
Milk (if using traditional parmesan and butter)
Instructions
1
✓
Bring the stock to a boil and keep it simmering on the back burner throughout cooking.
Tip: Temperature stability is key for even cooking.
2
✓
Finely chop the onion and garlic. Dice the carrots and courgette into uniform small cubes.
Tip: A 'brunoise' (tiny dice) cut ensures you get vegetables in every spoonful.
3
✓
Heat the oil in the pan and sweat the onion until translucent (do not brown!). Add the rice and toast ('tostatura') for 2 minutes until grain edges are translucent but centres remain white.
Tip: Toasting seals the surface of the grains so they don't turn into mush during the long cooking time, releasing starch only in a controlled way.
4
✓
Pour in the wine. Let it evaporate completely until the smell of alcohol disappears.
Tip: The acidity of the wine dissolves starch and balances the sweetness of the rice.
5
✓
Start adding the hot stock: one ladleful, stir, wait until absorbed. Repeat.
Tip: It's a game of patience. If you pour it all at once, it becomes boiled rice, not risotto.
6
✓
Halfway through (after approx. 10 minutes) add the carrots. 5 minutes later, add the courgette and peas.
Tip: Vegetables are added according to their hardness so they are all perfect by the end.
7
✓
When the rice is soft but still has bite (approx. 18-20 mins), remove from heat. Stir in the cheese and a knob of cold butter/oil. Rest covered for 2 minutes.
Tip: This is 'mantecatura'. The fat and starchy liquid form an emulsion, making it truly creamy.
8
✓
Serve immediately with parsley and pepper.
Tip: Risotto does not wait for the guest; the guest waits for the risotto.
Recipe FAQ
Ingredients
- 300 g Arborio rice (risotto rice)
- 1.2 l vegetable stock
- 1 pc red onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 pc courgette
- 2 pc carrots
- 150 g garden peas
- 100 ml dry white wine (optional)
- 50 g parmesan cheese (or vegan alternative)
- 30 ml olive oil (plus a little butter for the end)
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 bunch fresh parsley