I'd never had risotto before. Never made it. Never eaten it. But I came across a package of risotto rice at Deals Only for $1. Knowing the episodes of "Hell's Kitchen" were starting to pile up on our TiVo (during which they ALWAYS make Risotto, and usually get yelled at for making in wrong), I thought it would be fun to plan a home date that included risotto and a Hell's Kitchen marathon.
We picked up some packaged Chicken Cordon Bleu (I wanted the rest of the meal to be really easy, since I was a bit nervous about the risotto, knowing how much trouble the chefs on the show seem to have with it.) There was a recipe for "perfect risotto" on the back of the package, so I followed that, making just a few adjustments (peas, parsely), to make it look more like it does on the show. It was DELICIOUS!! It wasn't difficult, but did take a bit of time. It was a fun evening and we discovered a new favorite side dish!
Perfect Risotto
1 onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, crushed
3 Tbsp olive oil
8 oz arborio risotto rice
3 cups boiling stock (chicken, vegetable, etc. I used chicken base and water)
"Good knob of butter"
2-3 Tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese
Sea salt and ground black pepper
In a large saucepan, gently saute the onion and garlic in the oil for 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and cool 1 minute, until oil is absorbed. Add a quarter of the stock and simmer, stirring frequently until absorbed. Stir in remaining stock gradually, a cup at a time, allowing stock to be absorbed each time. This should be 15-18 minutes. (Mine was still too firm, so I mixed up 1 more cup of stock and simmered for another round). Finally, mix in butter and cheese (I also threw in a sprinkling of parsely and a handful of frozen peas). Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Serve immediately.
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