Get the recipe for Risotto Rapido here: https://bit.ly/3HTBoaX
Skillet risotto! Sounds gimmicky, but it’s not a lazy hack.
Chris Kimball wanted a risotto that wouldn’t demand a full half hour of attendance but also achieved a lighter consistency and fresher flavor. And we FINALLY figured out that, by cooking the rice separately, then the aromatics in the skillet, you get an easier risotto that also maintains a fresher layer of flavor, added near the end of cooking.
0:00 How to make risotto with less stirring
0:27 How to cook rice for risotto
1:34 How to cook the aromatics for risotto
2:58 How to stir risotto
3:37 How to finish risotto
#milkstreet #milkstreetrecipe #risotto #risottorecipe #risottorapido #skillet #skilletrecipe #milkstreetskillet #howto #howtomakerisotto #food #cooking #recipe #easyrecipe
we want to change the way you cook risotto [Music] we want less stirring we want more flavor and finally we want a more foolproof recipe where you’re more likely to end up with just the right kind of sauce and the rice cooked perfectly so the first thing we’re going to do which is quite different than the typical risotto recipe is cook the rice as you would cook rice so we’ll start there stock little water little salt get that up to a boil so I’m going to cook this 15- 20 minutes until the rice has absorbed all the liquids what we’re doing is dividing rsado into two parts we’re going to mostly cook the rice or at least give a big head start with it so I don’t have to stand here for 35 or 40 minutes stirring over the skillet i started making risado back in the It’s so embarrassing talking about how long I’ve been doing it’s back in the 1970s you know Marella Hazison was the great Italian teacher and cook and as you know the method is you add a little bit of stock uh and you stir and you add a little more stock and the rice absorbs that you do that seven or eight times over half an hour in Italy they would go like “Well what’s the problem just do it.” Uh go ahead there’s nothing wrong with it our goal here was to reduce the stirring to make it a little bit easier so maybe you’d make it on a Tuesday night you can say we’re just lazy which if Marella was with us today is probably what she would tell me is Chris you’re lazy so the next thing we’re going to do is is start the aromatics and we’re going to sauté the aromatics separately we feel that gives it a little bit more pungency the aromatics by keeping them separate from the rest of the dish right now the trick with any sophrio onions is you want a nice gentle sound you don’t want that angry sound and so you can listen for it um you can also add onions to oil or butter before the oil or butter is heated because the oil or butter can’t get into the onion because the onion’s full of water so it’s not going to make it soggy uh thyme is the most annoying herb ever because you’re trying to get it off i like to go for super tender young time or older time where you can strip the leaves right off it’s really easier okay a little bit of wine and we’re going to reduce that down you want to get rid of a lot of that excess water in the wine uh you want to concentrate its flavor has making risotto ever put me in the hospital for for wrist damage no that would be really great you go to the emergency room and they say “What’s happened on my my arm my wrist really hurts what’s I was making risado and uh it’s like get out of here.” It’s like I don’t think so we have the we have this now it’s about right most of the wine has been reduced down we’ve absorbed the liquid but the rice is not yet cooked turn the heat on and we’re going to add about a/3 of a cup of broth and now we’re going to stir vigorously you want to use a whisk cuz that’s going to beat up on the rice a little bit more than a spatula what you’re doing is releasing starch from the rice right and the whole point of that is to create a creamy sauce in Italy they have time in Italy they take their time in Italy they enjoy the process of cooking in Italy doing it slowly is not a bad thing in America we want to do it fast we don’t have time we’re impatient now it’s starting to thicken can I get a spoon to taste this doesn’t feel like the rice is cooked that well actually it is i was wrong off heat a little bit of water cheese butter so we’ll just stir that in now that looks pretty good right yes look good does it look good yeah it looks good okay off heat 5 minutes now one of the things we found is the resting was really important um if you don’t let it rest uh the rice can seize up on you a little bit so letting it rest calms down it relaxes so that looks pretty creamy let me just take a little taste yeah it’s creamy but it’s not stodgy like sometimes you get risotto and it’s just too thick rotado I know this sounds odd but really should be on the lighter side cuz it’s water and rice little cheese shallot i’ll be right with you that’s really good i think you’re much more likely to get a creamy result without the rice overcooking or undercooking i think this is a a better risotto recipe if you want to be absolutely sure you’re going to end up with a good risotto and it’s easier to do as well so there you go it’s a twofer
12 Comments
I love how you at Milk Street always try to share better ways to cook a delicious, well-loved dish. Thank you🙏
Foolproof, not fullproof. Looks good!
Don't feel embarrassed about having made risotto in the 1970s. You're not the only one who was cooking back then! It just means you have great earthly seniority! 🙂
……..or you could use,an Instapot, never touch it and have perfect risotto every time.
35,40 minutes? I make risotto from start to finish in 20 minutes and it's perfect. The traditional way for this particular dish is tried and true and best and does not need improvement or speeding up. Risotto is simple and delicious
If it's not broken,don't fix it!
I love Chris Kimball. He's down to earth, brilliant, inquisitive, tall, and humorous ..😂
"lazy" was my first thought as well. You want risotto that's lighter and fresher? Make a pilaf! Risotto is NOT a light dish. It's meant to be rich and full flavored. Stop trying to re-invent the wheel. Not all change is good.
This doesn't seem faster or easier than the traditional method. And it seems like you would get a different outcome. When you sweat the shallots and then add the rice, the rice gets toasted a bit and changes the release of starch. When you add the broth in the traditional way, the broth flavor gets intensified. One thing I saw from a well-known chef back in the day (I don't remember who) is that the broth can be added 2 or 3 times instead of 7 or 8, and constant stirring is really not necessary, with intermittent stirring being sufficient.
Skeptical. As others mentioned this doesn't look that much faster than doing it the right way.
But the main reason that I'm skeptical is that risotto is one of those dishes that can be enjoyable when it turns out mediocre but can be sublime when it turns out right. I've cooked a lot of risotto and have found that for it to be sublime everything has to be done just right and it isn't always easy and doesn't work out every time. That being the case, I just don't see how rushing it or precooking the rice will work. It is one thing to have the 'crema' from the starch but it is quite another thing for the consistency of the rice to be just right and another thing altogether to have the crema, the right consistency and the rice to be flavored perfectly. And that brings up the critical point: toasting the risotto in the pan before you add wine, water or stock is the most important aspect of flavor and consistency. Skip that and you might still have an enjoyable dish but it will not be a sublime dish.
The Italians may sometimes seem slaves to tradition. But in the case of risotto they are correct. 100%.
😣nah . Risotto is a fast recipe always, 13 to 15 min tops. Get the right rice, and use a traditional cooking. Wisk the rice, you’ll break the grains. You don’t have 15 minutes? Make ramen.
What did you do with the rest of the rice??
I use Kenji Lopez Alt pressure cooker method. Easy peasy!