Risotto expertise? sorry, it's long!

14 years ago

I don't have a lot of experience with risotto, but am serving it for dinner tonight. One of my guests has severe dietary restrictions and all the ingredients in risotto work for her, so I am making a fresh asparagus risotto, possibly adding beech mushrooms. I have a good recipe, but am a little anxious that it turn out well. I'm trying to decide if I can cook it after they arrive, but would prefer to just "finish" it at the last minute. We will have fresh mussels (lucky me, one of my guests owns a commercial mussel farm) that will be cooked at the last minute because they will be arriving with the guests. They take 5-10 minutes depending on how many lbs she brings.

I plan on precooking and shocking the asparagus and sauteing the mushrooms ahead. I can have the broth hot and ready to go and the shallots sauted. If I make it at the last minute, can I pre-saute the rice and then let it sit before adding the hot broth, or will it affect the grains' ability to absorb liquid? One recipe I saw suggested adding the wine to the broth instead of using it on the rice as the first liquid.

I've read a few techniques that apparently restaurants use to cook the rice the usual way but remove from heat when 3/4 done and spread in a shallow pan, refrigerate to cool quickly, then finish at the last minute, which will probably take as long as the mussels. Has anyone done this?

Lots of sites say that you can make risotto if all is prepped in around 30 min, but I've had it take 45 or 50 min, which is too long (I'm serving 6 so will probably use 2 or 2.5 cups of rice). It's a work night and folks probably won't arrive until 7, so I'd rather eat fairly quickly and could finish the risotto while the mussels cook.

What say you?

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Comments (14)

jessicavanderhoff
14 years ago
Are you home before the guests come? I think risotto holds better than it reheats, though honestly I think people overstate the case and that reheated risotto isn't that bad. But, anyway, if you're home, I'd probably have the mise en place done ahead, as you said, and start cooking the risotto about 30 minutes before the guests come.
Olychick
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks, Jessica, that would be ideal. I just don't want to be in the position of holding it too long and having it get overdone. You think partial cooking, cooling, then finishing is a bad idea? It seems to be recommended more than reheating a finished risotto, which I agree becomes soggy rice casserole instead of a nice risotto. I'd really like to know if anyone here has experience doing it that way. I don't have a pressure cooker or would try that.
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jessicavanderhoff
14 years ago
Haven't tried, sorry!
bbstx
14 years ago
According to the linked article from Food and Wine, you can hold risotto up to an hour at room temperature. It suggests that you make it up to adding the last 2 cups of broth, hold it, then finish with the last 2 cups.

Anyone with experience doing that?

Here is a link that might be useful: Food and Wine Risotto
Olychick
Original Author
14 years ago
bbstx, thanks!!! I didn't see that article. That would be perfect and lots less trouble and mess than refrigerating it in shallow pans to cool quickly. Just what I needed!
xox
bbstx
14 years ago
Let up know if it works! I would be willing to try it, based on Food and Wine's reputation.
lindac
14 years ago
You can do as food and wine suggests....but have available more than the called for last addition of broth. Seems that when risotto sits it absorbs more of the liqyuid....so you will need more to have it finish in a creamy consistancy.....and of course you won't add the parm until you are about to serve it.
I think reheated risotto is what has given risotto a bad name with some....
Make the risotto when you get home from work and leave it at room temp, then reheat and add the last of the broth, and veggies and cheese. I like adding the wine as the first liquid, I think the alcohol burns off more completely and the flavor goes into the rice better.l
Linda C
Olychick
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks, Linda. I'm going to do it as suggested..and thanks for the wine addition and extra broth tips. Hopefully it will all go well. If not, we'll fill up on mussels, bread and salad.
sushipup1
14 years ago
Great ideas here, but I want to add one idea. Risotto is what I call a social dish. In my house, the kitchen is open, and everyone's standing around anyway. All risotto takes standing and stirring. You can do it while socializing, or you can take a trusted person and put her/him in charge of the stirring. If you are relaxed enough to have other people in the kitchen, and someone who asks if they can help (there's always someone!), this works well. You can put a friend in charge of the stirring, and go ahead and do other tasks, while checking in with the risotto's progress as you do other things.
Olychick
Original Author
14 years ago
Sushipup, that's exactly what happened. I was still stirring when the first couple arrived...so he opened the wine, she stirred while I made the salad and put out the appetizers. Ended up fine...everyone loved it..can't say it was the best I've ever eaten...a little overcooked and not as saucy as I like. I used lots of fresh asparagus added after the rice was finished and sauteed beech mushrooms. Finished with parm and a sprinkle of truffle salt. So I still don't know if it can be partially cooked and held. will try that another time and report back. Thank you all for your help, once again.
mississaugamom
14 years ago
Too late for the dinner, but I have a baked risotto recipe that turns out surprisingly well! It is from one of Christine Ingram's books on rice and risotto. While it is a mushroom based risotto, I suspect it would work well with many others (seafood not so much!) I can post it if anyone is interested.
Olychick
Original Author
14 years ago
Please do! I made a second batch of the asparagus, beech mushroom risotto, learning from my first batch that I needed to stop stirring a little sooner. It was much better, but still a little drier than I like. I've made Martha Stewart's oven risotto and it was good, but not "loose" like I prefer, so I'd love another recipe to try.
jessyf
14 years ago
Must....make....risotto...this weekend....
sushipup1
14 years ago
"Must....make....risotto...this weekend...."

I am under the same spell!

Risotto expertise? sorry, it's long!

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Risotto expertise? sorry, it's long!

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