Italy is an incredible country that is filled with its customs, history, traditions, and characteristic features and which, of course, is proud of its national cuisine. It is the Italians who gave the world a large number of different recipes for dishes that have been so long and firmly rooted in the cuisines of other nations that they are beginning to be taken “for their own”. Risotto is undoubtedly one of the main dishes in Italian culinary tradition. The ris, otto takes a little time to make but there are certain secrets to preparing it. This incredible dish has a creamy taste, is deliciously balanced, and is a great way to impress your family and friends. Even if you grab a plate of freshly prepared risotto to take a break after working or enjoying reactoonz free play, you will be delighted by its taste.

The origins of risotto are rather uncertain, but it is considered to be a Northern Italian dish, specifically those areas where “small rice” is grown because that is how the name of this dish is translated. So the history of risotto is tied to the history of rice in Italy. Its first written mention appeared in culinary literature relatively recently, in the early XIX century, although there are legends that the secrets of cooking real risotto were known much earlier, approximately since the XVI century. Not much was needed to give birth to such a beautiful and amazing dish: rice with a high starch content, meat broth, and butter. All of these ingredients were readily available in prosperous Northern Italy, which was at the crossroads of many of the world’s trade routes. Today, there are an incredible variety of risotto recipes, complex and simple, some that act as a light appetizer and some that act as a serious second course.

What are the secrets of preparing this delicious Italian rice dish? This question interests many cooks, because, everything is not so simple, there are several rules, and without knowing which you will never get that unique delicate creamy flavor for which this dish is so famous. Moreover, risotto with chicken in the way of cooking is much different from risotto with mushrooms or seafood, but do not be frightened: mastering them is not so difficult. The main rule is that if you want to treat your guests or loved ones to a truly delicious and flavorful risotto, then never prepare it in advance. 

The choice of rice also matters because it is the most important ingredient in risotto. It must be medium-grain or round-grain rice with a high percentage of amylose. It is the ingredient that gives the dish that unique delicate creamy look. Indeed, today in stores the variety of rice is great, but Italians give preference only to Arborio rice and Carnaroli. You can take any of them, but the most popular among them remains Arborio rice. Beginner cooks, however, should be more careful with it and, for a successful start, try the version with Carnaroli rice, because it is not as easy to boil as Arborio, from which the dish with it “overdue” will be more difficult. Before proceeding to the cooking process, the grains should be picked, remove the damaged ones, since they boil faster and can harm the overall consistency of the finished dish.

You should not wash the rice before cooking so that it does not lose its valuable starch. The procedure of cooking the rice itself is strikingly different from the usual “cooking”, for risotto it must be fried in a frying pan or a pan with a thick bottom. In most standard recipes, rice is fried in some kind of fat, most of the time it is butter, sometimes olive oil, sunflower oil, pumpkin seed oil, or canola oil. Sometimes butter and olive oil are mixed in equal proportions, sometimes white dry wine is added, and sometimes even strong alcohol is used. To make the dish even tastier, another traditional ingredient can be added at the frying stage: onions. The rest of the fillings, which, naturally, wonderfully complement its flavor, can be the most diverse, to your taste: vegetables, seafood, pieces of meat or fish, mushrooms, and much more. 

Do you want to enjoy the taste of risotto in the restaurant instead of preparing it at home? Then you should visit us! We serve the risotto with mushrooms and prosciutto (risotto funghi) and risotto with sweet sausage, peppers, onions, tomato sauce, and melted mozzarella!