Riso e Risotto
We take a close look at how perfect Risotto is achieved and how it came to be not just a northern Italian dish, but a staple in Italian cuisine.
Risotto may be prepared all over Italy, but it is a quintessential northern Italian dish - in fact, in the northern provinces it often replaces pasta. Though it's impossible to date or even trace the origin of this method of cooking rice, what is certain is that it is one of the most original inventions of Italian cooking. Even the legendary father of modern French cuisine, the 19th century chef Auguste Escoffier, had to admit that risotto was a great way of cooking rice. Watching the transformation of the rice before your eyes is part of the special art and alchemy of this dish - and what makes cooking risotto a joy. What makes eating a great risotto unforgettable is the way it combines a primal, soothing texture with a delicate, sophisticated taste.
Basically, risotto is all about the slow integration of rice with butter and/or olive oil and onions (usually), plus the main ingredient - such as, scallops, porcini or zucchini - and the appropriate broth. A great alternative to white or yellow onions are shallots or leeks, which will give you a slightly different flavor. One of the most important moments in cooking a risotto is the brillatura (or "sparkling," because the rice kernels become translucent at this stage) - those sixty seconds when the rice is sort of toasted over the butter mixture and stirred continuously. After this minute, add the wine; after it evaporates, begin to ladle in the broth. From this point, it will take just 16 to 18 minutes for your risotto to be ready. Keep it all'onda e al dente - meaning it should move in a "wave-like" motion when pushed with a spoon, and the rice grains should be firm.
Though rice was introduced to Italy more than 1,000 years ago - and its cultivation was attempted in various parts of southern Italy after that time - prior to the Renaissance, the plant was primarily used for medicinal and cosmetic purposes. It wasn't until the late Middle Ages that rice was cultivated in northern Italy - mostly around the Po River flatlands - when this grain's extraordinary nutritional qualities became essential in fighting famines and epidemics. In the 15th century, the cultivation and consumption of rice really began to flourish in the northern plains of Italy - in the regions now called Veneto, Lombardia and Piemonte. Today, these same regions are world renowned for the quality of their rice and the variety of their risotti (plural form) recipes.
The most celebrated of all risotto dishes is Risotto alla Milanese - which, as its name suggests, is identified with the north Italian city of Milan. This celebrated dish of Lombardy cuisine is known for two distinctive features: at the beginning of the preparation, the onions are sautéed in butter and bone marrow (veal or beef); and at the end, saffron is added. These two ingredients give this dish its amazing flavor and its bright yellow color (see recipe below).
Italians are known to be great rice lovers, and appreciate not only risotto dishes - such as, Risotto con peoci (with mussels) - but also risi in brodo (rice in broth). The latter is more like a thick rice soup, and is particularly beloved throughout the Veneto region. In risotto, the broth is added to the rice; in risi in brodo, the rice goes into the broth - as in the famous recipe for Risi e bisi (rice and peas).
As with pasta, risotti dishes are prepared according to the seasons. For instance, in the autumn, in the northern regions around the Alps, risotti with wild mushrooms are a must - Risotto con finferli, and Risotto con chiodini are just a couple of examples of risotti made with the local mushrooms of this area. Risotto con zucca (with pumpkin) is another fall favorite, especially in Lombardy.
In Italy, if you are served a risotto ai funghi (with wild mushroom) or risotto coi carciofini (with artichokes) in January, you should be aware that you're not eating fresh vegetables, but preserved or frozen ones. But, that doesn't mean that you won't have a good risotto - frozen porcini are excellent, for example, but have a very different taste from fresh ones. Generally, for vegetable risotto, it's always preferable to follow the seasons if you can.
There are about 100,000 different cultivars of rice (Oryza Sativa and Oryza Glaberrima) in the world, but in Italy, Arborio, Carnaroli and Vialone Nano rice are the ones used for risotto. These three types of rice retain their starch when cooked, so the grains remain intact and firm. There are other varieties of rice grown in Italy but usually the production is just enough to satisfy local demand. Arborio, grown in the Po valley in northern Italy, is a short grain, slightly oval rice with the requisite high-starch content needed for risotto. Since its grains absorb slightly less liquid than the other types commonly used for risotto, Arborio can take just a little longer to cook - though the difference may be virtually unnoticeable. Carnaroli is also high-starch content rice, but with a slightly longer grain - the inner kernel of which remains firm during cooking. It is grown in the northern provinces of Novara and Vercelli in the Piemonte region. This rice is harder to harvest and therefore more expensive. Vialone Nano is the type of rice most preferred by Venetian cooks for risotto, partly because it is grown in the nearby Verona area. It has a rounder, stubbier grain with a slightly smoother texture.
A few important tips can help tremendously in making a great risotto: The rice should not be washed before being used as that provokes a release of starch, which you definitely want to avoid. The choice of the pot is also important - you should use a wide, low pot to allow the evaporation of liquid. And, contrary to common belief, though it's important to stir a risotto at certain key moments, you don't have to stir it all the time.
Lastly, a fundamental element in the making of a good risotto is the broth. Making a broth from scratch is fun and easy (as you'll see below), and it makes your risotto taste … fantastico. The choice of your broth depends on how delicate or more defined your recipe is. A vegetable broth will be perfect for all light vegetarian risotti. A light veal or chicken broth will is appropriate for risotti with cheese, poultry, meat, sausages, and wild mushrooms. A fish broth will be needed for all seafood risotti. The ratio of rice to broth is about 1:3. (And, yes, with a little love you can make a good risotto without homemade broth, too. So, feel free to use bullion cubes or canned broth instead, when you must.)
Brodo vegetale (Vegetable broth)
Pour water in a small pot and add one onion, a stem of celery, and one or two carrots, and one or two tomatoes, are recommended. Feel free to add whatever other vegetables you have on hand that will contribute more flavor to your broth, such as: leeks, or zucchini (sliced lengthwise), and parsley (with the stems). Also, be sure to add bay leaves, and salt and pepper corns, if desired. Let the broth simmer for half an hour and filter it through a sieve. Your broth is ready. (Suggestion: You can purée the leftover vegetables together with some of the broth to make a nice, light soup.)
Brodo di pesce (Fish broth)
For a good-tasting fish broth, ask your fishmonger (usually free for the asking) for the head and spine of some fish - such as sole, monkfish, sea bass or even salmon - to add to your stock. Also, the husks and heads of shrimps, or the liquid produced from cooking mussels or clams will greatly enhance your broth. In a medium-size pot, add any of these fish bones or husks to the vegetables as described in the Brodo vegetale recipe above - that is, onion, celery, carrots, tomatoes, bay leaves and parsley, and cover all in cold water. Cook as above, skim the foam and fat from the top from time to time.
Brodo di pollo, vitello o manzo (Chicken, veal or beef broth)
In a medium-size pot filled with cold water, add the same vegetables as in the broth recipes above - adding a whole chicken, or a cut of veal or beef, recommended for broth (just ask your butcher). If you add some bones - again, usually free for the asking - they will greatly enhance the flavor. Skim all the fat from the top a few times during cooking. The cooking time for meat broths is longer than for a vegetable broth, between one and two hours or so and will vary on the size and choice of meat you use. When ready, remove the meat and filter the broth. You will now have made not only a healthy broth, but also some boiled chicken, veal or beef that you can serve warm or cold for lunch or in sandwiches with some salsa verde (a green sauce with capers, anchovies, boiled eggs, parsley, olive oil and vinegar) or mayonnaise - or serve it the Italian way, enjoyed simply with some extra-virgin olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper.
