In honor of the Olympics, we’ll be sharing the keys to one of our gold-medal worthy recipes every day until the closing ceremonies on August 12th.
Cooking a pot of long-grain rice is simple: Bring your ingredients to a simmer, cover the pot, and wait. Risotto is the exact opposite. Accepted wisdom dictates near-constant stirring to achieve the perfect texture: tender grains with a slight bite in the center, bound together in a light, creamy sauce. But most of us don’t have the time or patience to watch the pot, let alone keep stirring. We wanted the light, creamy, al dente risotto—without the work.
WHAT MAKES THIS RECIPE A WINNER
- In order for the rice to cook evenly without being stirred, we moved our recipe from the traditional saucepan to a Dutch oven, whose thick, heavy bottom, deep sides, and tight-fitting lid kept moist heat evenly distributed from the top of the pot to the bottom throughout the duration of cooking.
- Stirring the pot for just a few minutes over medium heat, then turning off the burner, ensured the bottom didn’t cook more quickly than the top.
- Without sitting over a direct flame, the rice turned perfectly al dente just from the heat retained in the covered pot.
Want to try it out for yourself? Here’s our recipe for Almost Hands-Free Risotto with Parmesan and Herbs for free until August 12.
About the Author: America's Test Kitchen
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This recipe has been placed in the regular rotation at our house. Not only is it easy, it is simple to modify. We’ve tried several variations and our family loves it. Because of the method, it makes the constant stirring a thing of the past and makes me wonder why professional cooks on a certain television reality show don’t adopt it. There would be a whole lot less yelling over ruined risotto!
My favorite recipe for risotto – EVER! And its even forgiving. I gave the recipe to my best friend and she accidentally used too much liquid but it all worked out in the end. My husband requests this on a regular basis and we love trying different cheeses with it (so far, the Sargento 6 Cheese Italian Blend is the favorite).