RESTAURANT RISOTTO TECHNIQUE

Restaurant Risotto 

Risotto

400g (about 1 lb - 2 cups) risotto rice (such as arborio or carnaroli)

1 litre (about 4 cups) brown chicken (or vegetable) stock

150g (about 1-1/4 cups) shelled broad (fava) beans

150g (about 1-1/4 cups) peas (or petits pois), thawed if frozen

50g (about 1/2 cup) freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra shavings to serve

25g (about 1-1/2 Tbs) butter, cut into cubes

handful fresh chives(optional), chopped

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To prepare risotto, rinse rice under cold water and strain. Add to a pan with 2 cups of chicken stock and 2 cups of water. Add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and blanch rice for 7 minutes. Drain the rice well and spread the rice out on a lightly oiled tray. Allow to cool.

Finishing the risotto: In a shallow pan, place blanched rice and add just enough chicken stock to cover the rice. Quickly bring to a boil and cook until almost all of the stock is evaporated. Taste risotto to see if it is cooked to al dente. Add a little more stock if the risotto needs additional cooking. Add peas, fava beans, Parmesan and a few pieces of butter. Cook for a few more minutes until the beans are tender. Season to taste and add some fresh chives (optional).