Recipes

[kate2357]

Since I found this recipe ... we have risotto a lot at my house. I am making it tonight to go w/ chicken breast stuffed w/ spinach and mushrooms I'm making. (Same recipe creator).

This recipe is a good base to make risotto and the magic happens in the oven. Any additional ingredients you may want to add ... such as mushrooms or asparagus get added in at the end. 

This is one of those recipes where it pays to go to the recipe site and read the entire post...and the comments. People discuss their tweaks, such as using 1 cup of white wine to replace 1 of the cups of chicken stock and my, oh my, that's a good tweak.

No-Stir Creamy Lemon & Herb Baked Risotto - From Recipe Tin Eats

INGREDIENTS
RISOTTO:
1 1/2 cups Arborio risotto rice (Note 1)
4 cups chicken stock , low sodium (or vegetable)
1/2 onion , finely diced (brown, white, yellow)
1 garlic clove , finely minced (large!)
2 tbsp butter , unsalted, cut into 1.5cm / 1/2″ pieces
1/2 tsp black pepper

FINISHES:
1/3 cup parmesan cheese , finely grated (store bought pre grated is fine)
2 tbsp extra butter , unsalted, cut into 1.5cm / 1/2″ pieces (Note 3)

LEMON HERB FLAVOUR (EXCELLENT WITH FISH & PRAWNS, NOTE 4):
2 tsp lemon rind (1 lemon)
2 – 3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp parsley , finely chopped
2 tbsp chives , finely chopped
3 tbsp dill , finely chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F (all oven types).

Heat stock: Heat up the chicken stock until just before boiling using whatever method suits – stove or microwave.

Pour everything into casserole dish: Pour the stock into a small casserole pot 10" wide. Then add all the remaining Risotto ingredients – rice, butter, onion, garlic, pepper.

Bake 35 minutes: Cover with lid or foil, bake 35 minutes or until rice is just cooked – tender but not mushy. The risotto will still look liquidy – that's what you want to ensure risotto is creamy at the end!

Stir vigorously: Remove from oven, stir a few times to break up rice. Add finishing butter and parmesan, then stir vigorously until the watery liquid becomes creamy, and mostly evaporates/gets absorbed.

Goal – oozy and creamy:The risotto should be oozy and creamy, not thick, gluey or stodgy. If it gets too thick, add 1 tbsp of boiling water at a time to loosen it up, stirring well after each addition.

Taste for salt: Taste for seasoning and adjust (I find it's just right).
Serve asap! Serve while hot and creamy, topped with more parmesan if desired!

LEMON HERB FLAVOURING OPTION:
Add lemon rind, juice and herbs, stir through gently just before serving

.
Recipe Notes:
1. Risotto rice – Risotto needs to be made with risotto rice (Arborio rice is my choice) because it’s extra starchy. This is what makes risotto beautifully creamy without the use of cream. Find it in the rice section of grocery stores.

2. Pot/pan – 8″ square pan also works, or similar volume any other size. Avoid using a wide, giant pan because then the risotto spreads out too thin and might dry out.
If you scale recipe up, then you need a larger pot. Or a smaller pot if you scale down!

3. Extra butter for finishing – if you really want to reduce the fat, you can skip the extra butter used to finish. But do NOT skimp on butter for the cooking phase. It is essential for the onion and garlic to “oven sauté” in the butter while it bakes (it floats on the sauce with the butter). Otherwise, the onion just boils in stock – not as nice!

4. Herbs – any (Western) herbs of choice are fine here. It’s added at the end, so taste as you go and trust your tastebuds to tell you when you’ve added the right amount!

5. Storage & reheating – unlike most risottos, this one will reheat well as long as the rice is cooked until tender not mushy and soft. Keeps 4 days in the fridge. Reheat in microwave. Add touch of water if needed to loosen. Note however that herbs may lose some colour. Also the lemon flavour tends to fade, so consider propping it up with a fresh spritz of juice.

[Spacrazy]

Thank you @kate2357 I happen to have these ingredients on hand so this is going to be dinner at my house.
Keep these good recipes coming. Yum

[drizzellla]

@kate2357 I do not have Arborio rice.

I have long grain, Jasmine, Brown, Sushi and Wild Rice. Don't have any Arborio. I know in the notes it said only use Arborio. But do you think I can use a rice that I already have?

I never made Risotto before maybe no one will notice that I used the "wrong" rice?

[deepwaterdotter]

@drizzellla Of the rices you listed that you have on hand, I would substitute with sushi rice.  It may not be as creamy though.  In my experience, Arborio rice has a special creaminess to it.

[kate2357]

---

@drizzellla wrote:

@kate2357 I do not have Arborio rice.

I have long grain, Jasmine, Brown, Sushi and Wild Rice. Don't have any Arborio. I know in the notes it said only use Arborio. But do you think I can use a rice that I already have?

I never made Risotto before maybe no one will notice that I used the "wrong" rice?

---

@drizzellla 

I have never tried to make risotto w/ any of the rices you mention. What the recipe creator says is that risotto rice is starchier ... which is needed to make the dish creamy. But ... rice doesn't cost much money and what's the worst that could happen? It might not be creamy risotto, but it might be something you still like.

Risotto rice – To make any risotto dish, you need to use risotto rice, which is different to ordinary white rice because it’s got higher levels of particular starches that thickens and makes the risotto beautifully creamy without the need for cream. While there are actually a number of risotto rice varieties (eg. Carnaroli, Vialone Nano), by the far the most common you’ll encounter is Arborio rice. I am using Arborio rice here;

[wagirl]

I LOVE risotto--and lemon with herbs has got to be my fave!! I have cooked it on top of the stove a few times ---but I now cook it in my pressure cooker and use calrose rice instead of arborio rice---and it turns out just as good without so much work. this is one dish that does take so long to make----usually--

[CatsyCline]

I've made arborio rice on the stovetop, saute a shallot clove in butter and a bit if EVOO and then cook the raw rice and brown a bit.   

added chicken stock and a splash of white wine, bring to temp,  cooked on low 25 min.  

2:1 rice/liquid

i do make a proper stirred risotto, w warmed stock.  about 30 -40 minutes. Sooo good!  DH doesn't eat much carbs so i only do a half-recipe. Sometimes mix in diced butternut squash or a sweet potato.

sometimes add fresh chives and fresh grated parm at the end.

heaven!!