Prepare A Delicious Homemade Risotto To Accompany Your Meals

This typical Italian recipe is one of the dishes that seems much more complex than it really is. A good homemade risotto does not require great culinary skills, it is a matter of patience and dedication.

Therefore, we should not get frustrated if the risotto does not come out perfect the first time …

To prepare a good homemade risotto, we do not need sophisticated recipes, we can simply take advantage of what we have in the fridge with some creativity.

Regarding the ingredients, we will use rice, the vegetables that we like the most and some vegetable or animal protein.

The basic technique for preparing homemade risotto

The basic technique to prepare homemade risotto is simple and can be summarized in the following steps:

1. The first thing is to briefly fry the rice with a little shallot and leek in extra virgin olive oil. Both the shallot and the leek must have been previously finely chopped.
2. When the rice begins to become somewhat transparent, we must add some white wine and let it evaporate. The volume of white wine is proportional to the amount of risotto that is prepared. Thus, for every 300 grams of rice, we will use ½ cup of white wine.
3. Once the wine has evaporated, the broth begins to be added little by little in the preparation. There is no exact amount of broth to make a good risotto. Everything will depend on how much liquid the type of rice we use asks for. For this reason, we must hydrate the preparation little by little, over and over again, until the rice is  al dente .
4. When the rice is almost ready (literally seconds before the al dente ), it is time to assemble the risotto. For that, we must add  butter and Parmesan cheese at the end of the preparation, just before serving it.

Tips for preparing a perfect risotto

Choosing a good rice

Although we can use any type of rice for risotto, the ideal would be to use Carnaroli rice. This variety of rice supports prolonged cooking, which allows it to absorb all the flavors well.

The “secrets” of the broth

The broth should never be added all at once, to avoid overdoing it and obtaining soup instead of risotto.

Also, it should always be hot when you add it. If we use cold broth we will not get the proper cooking, which can affect the final texture of the risotto.

To remove or not to remove: this is the question

If we want to obtain a good dry rice with garlic or onion, we must not stir the preparation.

However, a  very creamy and smooth homemade risotto requires a lot of rhythm to “make” the spoon dance. It will be especially necessary when “assembling” your risotto with butter and cheese.

Still, there are two “schools” when it comes to when to stir risotto. Some prefer to add the broth little by little, in small amounts and stir well often. In other cases, it is preferred to add the broth less often and stir more occasionally.

Homemade Prawn and Asparagus Risotto Recipe

 Ingredients (for 2 people)

• 1 cup of asparagus (200 g)
• Broth (amount needed)
• 1 stick of butter (150 g)
• 2 cups of Carnaroli rice (300 g)
• ½ cup of white wine (100 ml)
• 1 onion finely chopped (40 g)
• 6 whole prawns (with the heads)
• Salt and pepper for seasoning (to taste)
• ¼ cup finely chopped shallot (50 g)

• 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese (150 g)
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (20 ml)

Preparation

1. To prepare the broth, we use the previously washed shrimp heads and the vegetables that we like. We also add a bay leaf, a little rosemary, and a crushed whole garlic clove.
2. First, we sauté the onion, shallot and rice with the olive oil.
3. Then, we add the white wine and let it evaporate.
4. When the wine has evaporated, we begin to add the broth little by little. Each time we add broth, we stir the preparation intensively and taste the rice to certify its point.
5. While we wait for the rice to be ready, we brown the previously cleaned prawns in a pan with olive oil. At the end, we add a little salt and pepper on the golden prawns.
6. When the rice is al dente , add the previously grilled asparagus and also al dente .
7. Immediately, we start to assemble our risotto : first we add the butter and then the Parmesan cheese. For a good set-up, it is essential that the fire is moderate. We must also be very willing to vigorously stir the preparation.
8. When the risotto is creamy and smooth, we can serve with the golden prawns on top.