Parsley (minced and turned into a dressing/paste w olive oil just to be fancy)
Butter, parmigiano, wine, shallot etc
1. So I cooked pancetta on med-low for ~7-10 minutes. 2. Softened shallot and toasted risotto in pancetta fat 3. Put risotto with shallot and added wine (set timer to ~16 min) 4. Added broth, in typical risotto method (once i thought it absorbed, but maybe too often?), stirring a bit once every minute or so 5. Added peas at 10 minutes remaining 6. At the end added butter and did mantecato 7. Pancetta and parsley on top
My frustrations: some of the pancetta (leaner pieces) were tough, how can I prevent this but also get it golden like in all the cooking videos? Also, I feel like it could have been creamier. How can I achieve this better?
Things to note: I specifically did NOT use the risi e bisi preparation (making it soupier), as I was in the mood for a creamier risotto dish. Also I used one of those risotto spoon with a big hole in the middle (if that matters).
Anyway thanks in advance for the advice
vpersiana
It looks good but a bit overcooked maybe? At least judging from the pic.
To make it creamier, just add a bit of broth (or water if you don’t have broth left) and stir, preferably before mantecatura but even after is ok, just make sure you are stirring a lot so the freshly added liquid makes an emulsion with the solidified starch.
Rice absorbs a lot of water even after cooking so usually it becomes more sticky after a few minutes, that’s why you should leave it more liquid than what you want to achieve.
MotoJJ20
Read more on this topic. Sequence and timing are key. One, Sautee the rice over low heat only until the edges become translucent. Then begin to add the broth in small increments.
As to color, saffron.
My suggestion is to lose the fancy ingredients and focus more on technique first. Some of the best I’ve eaten have had only 3. Technique is achieved through repetition and consistency.
vpersiana
For the pancetta, start the preparation on high flame and hot pan to get the maillard reaction, then lower the heat and let it cook till it looks good for you, don’t add oil or anything, it needs to cook in its own fat.
azula_forever
It looks like really you’re about 80% of the way there. Just a couple tiny tweaks I’d make: – Perhaps try carnaroli rice instead? I’ve found this gives the creamiest texture – The pancetta definitely needed some time at high heat, then put way down on low to render; that’ll give that crispy-yet-tender texture you’re looking for – The rice looks like it needed a bit more colour before you started adding the liquid – I’d use a blend of wine and broth…the flavour just tends to be better and I believe the acidity in the wine helps to break down the starch a bit more and encourages that more creamy texture
5 Comments
Hoping to get some critique/advice on my risotto
I made it with:
Fresh peas
Pancetta
Vialone nano
Parsley (minced and turned into a dressing/paste w olive oil just to be fancy)
Butter, parmigiano, wine, shallot etc
1. So I cooked pancetta on med-low for ~7-10 minutes.
2. Softened shallot and toasted risotto in pancetta fat
3. Put risotto with shallot and added wine (set timer to ~16 min)
4. Added broth, in typical risotto method (once i thought it absorbed, but maybe too often?), stirring a bit once every minute or so
5. Added peas at 10 minutes remaining
6. At the end added butter and did mantecato
7. Pancetta and parsley on top
My frustrations: some of the pancetta (leaner pieces) were tough, how can I prevent this but also get it golden like in all the cooking videos? Also, I feel like it could have been creamier. How can I achieve this better?
Things to note: I specifically did NOT use the risi e bisi preparation (making it soupier), as I was in the mood for a creamier risotto dish. Also I used one of those risotto spoon with a big hole in the middle (if that matters).
Anyway thanks in advance for the advice
It looks good but a bit overcooked maybe? At least judging from the pic.
To make it creamier, just add a bit of broth (or water if you don’t have broth left) and stir, preferably before mantecatura but even after is ok, just make sure you are stirring a lot so the freshly added liquid makes an emulsion with the solidified starch.
Rice absorbs a lot of water even after cooking so usually it becomes more sticky after a few minutes, that’s why you should leave it more liquid than what you want to achieve.
Read more on this topic. Sequence and timing are key. One, Sautee the rice over low heat only until the edges become translucent. Then begin to add the broth in small increments.
As to color, saffron.
My suggestion is to lose the fancy ingredients and focus more on technique first. Some of the best I’ve eaten have had only 3. Technique is achieved through repetition and consistency.
For the pancetta, start the preparation on high flame and hot pan to get the maillard reaction, then lower the heat and let it cook till it looks good for you, don’t add oil or anything, it needs to cook in its own fat.
It looks like really you’re about 80% of the way there. Just a couple tiny tweaks I’d make:
– Perhaps try carnaroli rice instead? I’ve found this gives the creamiest texture
– The pancetta definitely needed some time at high heat, then put way down on low to render; that’ll give that crispy-yet-tender texture you’re looking for
– The rice looks like it needed a bit more colour before you started adding the liquid
– I’d use a blend of wine and broth…the flavour just tends to be better and I believe the acidity in the wine helps to break down the starch a bit more and encourages that more creamy texture
Overall though, I’d say solid attempt!!