[Sca-cooks] cooking rice

[Lorenz Wieland]

vicki shaw wrote:
> I always have problems with Arborio rice.  My daughter always makes
> it to perfection, but mine turns unto a gloopy mush!

Arborio (or Carnaroli or any other variety very high in starch) can't be
cooked like other rices.  You need to start it using a quantity of liquid no
more than equal to the quantity of rice, cook until most of the liquid is
gone, and add more liquid in small quantities while constantly stirring the
mixture.  Here's a basic, and relatively foolproof, risotto:

2 tbl olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
Salt and black pepper to taste
1.25 cups arborio rice
1 cup white wine (Sauvingnon Blanc or Pinot Grigio)
4 cups chicken stock

Heat oil in sautee pan over medium-high heat.  Heat broth to simmer in
separate container (sauce pan, microwave container, etc.). Sautee onions,
garlic, salt, and pepper until onions are translucent.  Add rice and cook,
stirring, for 1 minute.  Stir in wine and reduce until almost no free liquid
remains.  Reduce heat to medium.  Add in chicken broth 6oz at a time (one
standard ladle-full), stirring rice constantly until done to taste.

Optionally, add in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf
parsley at the end.