The Aura Homestead Newsletter- No. 3

Risotto- it only wants you to think it's difficult.

While this recipe might not win you any Michelin stars (I haven’t seen anybody handing those out to home cooks lately anyway), we’re just gonna blaze on ahead with a risotto that might not be *technically* perfect, but will certainly fill any comfort food longing you may have.

Somewhere along the line, I heard that risotto means “drunken rice.” Which makes so much sense that even if it isn’t true, it should be. When you make risotto, you gradually add liquid until the rice has absorbed every possible bit of goodness and it’s too drunk to go any further.

Start by warming up your chicken broth in a pot on the stove (add warm things to warm things) and then get out the big pan. If there’s one thing I wish I would always remember it’s to use the big pan. It takes so much less time to clean the big pan than it does to clean the stove top when I slosh half my food out of the little pan. When I make risotto, I use a large short sided enameled dutch oven.

We’ll begin as most good recipes do- with an onion, maybe some garlic, and butter. Add a tablespoon or two or three of butter (I’ll attempt to write down actual measurements at the end of this, but usually I just wait for the voice of my non-existent Italian ancestors to whisper “basta” (enough) to my soul) and chop up an onion into whatever size pieces you enjoy eating. Add a generous amount of salt and stir. Let the onion cook until it is translucent and then add your arborio rice. Let the rice get shiny, slightly toasty and coated in that delicious butter.

Next, start to add your warm chicken broth. Add enough so that the rice is beginning to swim. Give it a good stir and then continue to stir every once in a while so that the rice doesn’t stick. This is where we part ways with most cook books which threaten that without constant stirring, your risotto won’t be worth eating. To which I say, “oh hush. I do what I want.” I’ve even *gasp!* put on the lid before. Eeek! Do keep an eye on it, but don’t get all crazy.

As the rice absorbs the broth, add more, maybe a cup at a time. Add a little white wine if you want. Throw in that half can of pumpkin you have sitting in the fridge. Just keep adding more liquid and stirring to keep from sticking until the rice is drunk. You know its drunk when you taste it and it is soft and creamy and the broth has made a thin sauce. You can’t cook good risotto without tasting it. You’ll add more salt. A little pepper. Some herbs. Then when its creamy and delicious you’ll add Parmesan cheese (get the block of cheese and grate it yourself- it’s so much better). Then if you’re really feeling crazy, you’ll finish it off with a tiny bit of nutmeg- note- if you added that pumpkin, this isn’t optional.

There are so many ways you can go with this. Top with meat, fish, shrimp, roasted or sauteed veggies, a poached or fried egg. Toss some fresh tomatoes with sizzling hot browned butter and put it on top of your risotto. You might not win a Michelin star…but I’ll certainly give you a gold one.

Measurements-ish
I probably double this for my family of 6. Definitely if I want leftovers…which I do.

2-3 Tbsp butter
1 onion- chopped
1.5 cups arborio rice
4 cups chicken broth
salt to taste
grated Parmesean cheese

Simple food is good food, my friends. Thanks for reading.

-Jen