Basic Risotto

Name: Basic Risotto
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients: 4 1/2 cups chicken stock; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1/2 onion, finely chopped; 2 cups arborio rice; 1/2 cup dry white wine; 1 teaspoon salt or more to taste; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese; Freshly ground black pepper

January 24, 2012

Serve with Classic Beef Meatballs (page 4)

Recipe information

Yield
Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

4 1/2 cups chicken stock

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 onion, finely chopped

2 cups arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 teaspoon salt or more to taste

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Step 1
Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a medium pot over medium-high heat and lower the flame to a simmer.
Step 2
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Step 3
Add the rice and continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 4 minutes. Add the white wine and salt and continue to cook, stirring vigorously, until the wine has completely evaporated. Add 1 cup of the chicken stock and continue to cook and stir vigorously. When the chicken stock has been almost completely absorbed, about 7 minutes, add another cup of the chicken stock and continue to cook, stirring constantly but not vigorously. When the chicken stock has been almost completely absorbed, add the remaining 2 1/2 cups chicken stock and continue to cook, for a total cooking time of about 25 minutes, stirring gently so that the rice does not stick.
Step 4
Stir in the butter and Parmesan and mix to incorporate. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Transfer to a platter or serving plates and finish with a generous turn of the pepper mill.

Reprinted with permission from The Meatball Shop Cookbook by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow with Lauren Deen. Copyright © 2011 by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Ballantine Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. Daniel Holzman is executive chef at The Meatball Shop. He is an alum of Le Bernadin, San Francisco's Fifth Floor, and Aqua, among other highly acclaimed restaurants. He attended the Culinary Institute of America, where he received a full scholarship from the James Beard Foundation. Michael Chernow runs the front-of-house operations and the beverage program at The Meatball Shop. He has worked extensively in restaurants in New York and Los Angeles. He is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, where he earned degrees in culinary arts and restaurant management. He and Holzman met as teenagers when they worked together as delivery boys at the New York vegan restaurant Candle Café. Needless to say, the vegan thing didn't really stick. Lauren Deen is the author of the New York Times bestselling Cook Yourself Thin series and Kitchen Playdates. She is an Emmy award—and James Beard award— winning television producer and director. She is currently executive producer of food(ography) on the Cooking Channel.

TagsRisotto Rice Rice & Grains Main Lunch Dinner Nut Free Gluten Free Simmer Cookbooks

Recipe information

Ingredients

Preparation

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Recipe notes