Risotto

A simple rice dish, that can grow into a dinner delight. THE SECRET IS IN THE STIR.

Risotto is an Italian dish, made from rice, stock and anything you have that you want in it, depending on where you are in Italy, the consistency will vary. This recipe will be a thick northern Italy based dish. Below I will give you the recipe for a basic vegetable risotto, but you can really add anything.

This is great with fresh bread and a salad. To really add flavor, get some fresh Basil and chop it up at the very end and sprinkle on it and add dried and or fresh chopped herbs (oregano, basil) when you add the veg.

Here is what you need:

Saucepan, with a lid
Oil - oilve is good, but normal cooking oil will suffice
Rice (1 cup per person if main meal, 1/2 a cup if a starter) - now if you want to be fancy go and buy Risotto rice, but otherwise normal rice works fine.
Water
Stock cube or better still bouillon
Fresh vegetables, cut into small pieces, about 2cm in length. (Thicker veg takes longer).
Parmesan cheese - again better if a block, but pre-grated is fine.
Salt, Pepper.

Here is what to do:
Make some stock. To a stock cube just add a pint / 500ml or very hot water.
Turn on the stove top.
Put you rice into the saucepan with a table spoon of oil. Gently heat the rice.
Pour enough stock over the rice to cover it and stir.
Let it simmer. Stir
As the stock disappears, keep adding a bit more stock. Stir
Keep stirring.
[The rice will soak up the stock and get thicker].
After about 10 minutes, test a tiny bit of rice. If it is still hard, but chewy, then add the vegetables.
Otherwise re-test every 2 minutes until chewy but hard.
Stir. Put the lid on for 4 minutes.
Take of lid stir, until the thickness of the Risotto is too your liking.
Turn off heat.
Stir in a spoonful of grated Parmesan.
Season to taste. (Stock cubes have a lot of salt in them! So taste before seasoning)

Eat it.