White risotto (and tips for making a good risotto)

White risotto is the basic recipe for this traditional Italian dish. Many other preparations are built on it: asparagus, mushroom, etc. All of them exquisite, yes, but the “bianco” is a unique dish, it is more than enough on its own to enchant whoever tastes it.

It is important to use rice specially for risotto. The most suitable varieties, due to their high starch content, are carnaroli and arborio. They are easily found in all major supermarkets and at a good price, so resist the temptation to reach for that bag of bomba rice you have in the pantry.

Other basic tips for making a perfect risotto:

• Do not skimp on the cheese or the butter and buy quality. The ingredients make the difference between a mediocre risotto and a spectacular one
• How much stock does risotto need? The same amount is not always needed; it depends on the intensity of the heat, the brand or type of rice, and how much you stir. As a general rule you should multiply the weight of rice by four, but it's better to have extra than the opposite.
• How much should you stir? If you don't stir there is no paradise. You don't have to stand over the risotto and stir it from start to finish, but you should do it frequently. This process is necessary to extract the starch from the grain and achieve that characteristic creamy texture of risotto.
• Texture makes the difference. Neither too runny, so it pours off the plate, nor too thick. Achieving a light cream is the most difficult part of risotto. Before finishing with butter and cheese it should have a light texture; add one or two tablespoons of stock if necessary (it will thicken with the cheese and butter).

Balti Dish Le Creuset, Caractère Revol porcelain plate and Pallarès wooden-handled fork

Ingredients (for 3 servings)

• 1.5 l vegetable or chicken stock
• 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 50 g butter
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 onion
• 1 leek (white part only)
• 300 g arborio or carnaroli rice (special for risotto)
• 400 ml cava (white wine or dry white vermouth)
• 50 g log of goat cheese
• 100 g grated Parmesan
• Ground black pepper

Balti Dish Le Creuset, Caractère Revol porcelain plate and cuchillo de cocina con mango redondeado de Ébano Pallarès

1. We heat the stock in a covered pot and leave the heat on low.
2. Meanwhile we chop the garlic clove, the onion and the leek.
3. We heat the extra virgin olive oil in a wide Shallow Casserole (I used my balti dish which works like a charm for this) and sauté the vegetables for 5 minutes or until tender. They should not brown.
4. We add the rice, increase the heat and sauté for 1 minute while stirring. We pour in the cava and continue stirring until the alcohol evaporates.
5. Next we add the stock to cook the rice well. We will do this little by little and stirring throughout the process, without adding more stock until the rice has absorbed what was added previously. This process should last around 15 minutes.
6. When the rice is at its point, the only thing left is to finish with butter and cheese. For this we remove the pot from the heat and add the two types of cheese and the butter. We stir well, cover with a cloth and let it rest 2-3 more minutes, just enough to set the table and seat our diners.
7. We serve with a little ground black pepper and more grated Parmesan sprinkled on top.

Balti Dish Le Creuset, Caractère Revol porcelain plate and Pallarès wooden-handled fork