Creamy Risotto

For the home chef, cooking a risotto dish could be a little but intimidating and it's rumored to be difficult. Despite it being a little bit labor intensive, the actual process is quite easy and doesn't require a lot of measuring. The recipe below is rich and creamy and delicious as is, but is also a basic creation that can be altered and turned into a full meal.  Add in ideas: asparagus, peas, different herbs and spices, mushrooms, proteins, cheeses, or even try replacing the white wine with red.  Roll your sleeves up and get ready to stir!

*Recipe yields around 3 cups cooked*

Ingredients:

1 cup Arborio rice, uncooked

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

1 shallot, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup white wine

2 32oz boxes chicken stock

Parmesan cheese, freshly grated to taste

Pour chicken stock into large pot and heat until warm, cover and reserve.

Heat olive oil and butter in a medium saucepan. Add garlic and shallots and cook for 1 minute until shallot is translucent.

Add Arborio rice to saucepan and stir into garlic and onion mixture cooking for 1-2 minutes before adding liquids. Add wine to pan and cook/stir until absorbed by rice.

Add one ladle of warm chicken stock to rice mixture at a time, stirring constantly until absorbed. Repeat until rice is cooked through - usually takes around 20-30 minutes.

Add Parmesan cheese to cooked risotto to taste and serve immediately.