Risotto
A classic Italian rice dish
Risotto is the famous Italian rice dish which offers limitless recipe possibilities from a single simple cooking process.
It differs from other rice dishes such as paella or pilaf in that a shorter grained rice with a high starch content is used, making the finished dish characteristically creamy and glutinous.
The basic technique behind a risotto is to soften onions and garlic in oil, before adding the uncooked rice to the pan. Then, stock is added ladle by ladle while the rice is stirred, with each addition of stock being absorbed by the rice before the next is added.
This basic recipe can be expanded by the addition of other flavourings such as herbs or wine, and of course most risotto recipes include other ingredients such as meat, fish or vegetables, which are often cooked seperately before being added to the mixture when the rice is nearly ready.
The keys to a good risotto are to cook it slowly to allow the texture to develop, to use a good stock, and to use a specialist risotto rice. There are many varieties of rice suited for risotto, with arborio and carnaroli perhaps the two best known and most easily obtainable examples.
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Risotto of Lemon Thyme, Prosciutto, Pecorino and Goat's Cheese
Jamie advises to use normal thyme if you cannot get hold of lemon thyme
Read full recipe by Jamie Oliver, published at www.jamieoliver.com
