Risotti

Risotto is a typical dish from Lombardy, especially in Milan, where it is matched with many roasts to make a single-dish meal. The following advice was passed on by my grandmother, alongside the proverb “Rice is born in water and dies in wine”, to underline the necessity to use wine while cooking it.

Be careful: when cooking risotto it is important that the added broth is boiling hot, putting it cold will stop the cooking process (and ruin the end result). As an alternative to broth warm water from a kettle can be used, adding circa 8g of vegetable broth to the rice itself. When not sure about the amount of broth needed it can be added in several stages: the end result should be creamy but not liquid.

A good risotto should be made with real, homemade, chicken or beef broth and the difference from a bouillon cube can be tasted, nevertheless, especially in today's fast-paced society it is sadly more common to use extracts or pre-made ones.