Learn how to cook like an authentic Italian
If you have a wheat intolerance or are a celiac then rice is the next best thing for replacing your pasta meal.
Rather than just placing some boiled rice next to your main meal, why not MAKE RICE THE MAIN MEAL?
Risotto can be made with almost any ingredient you have on hand! It can be made with vegetables for a vegan/vegetarian dish, with minced meat, chicken, sausage, your imagination is the limit.
It’s also a great meal to have for Sunday lunch or during a week night after a busy day since it’s quick and easy to whip up.
Risotto is the most famous of the Italian rice dishes and dates back to 1584 in northern Italy.
Here’s some tips:
- The rice used should never be washed as this procedure would delete the rice of it’s starchy properties which are part and parcel of creating a creamy risotto.
- Risotti are basically all prepared the same way but flavoured with almost any ingredient you have in the kitchen.
- The rice is usually coated quickly with butter or olive oil (in my case, olive oil!) and then the hot broth or water should be added slowly over medium/low heat so that the rice doesn’t lose its starch.
- You continue adding a ladleful of broth at a time as the liquid is absorbed.
- The risotto is cooked this way for about 20 minutes.
- Never allow the risotto to become completely dried.
- The rice should always be ‘al dente’ because it is healthier and more digestible.
- To finalise, remove the risotto from the heat, stir in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil or a knob of butter (dairy free for me) and some dairy free Parmesan cheese (about 3-4 heaped tablespoons) to make the risotto very creamy. If the recipes calls for it, add some finely chopped parsley at this point in time too.
WHAT TO DO WITH LEFTOVER RISOTTO
If you have any leftover risotto, don’t throw it out, you can shape it into balls and coat it with gluten free breadcrumbs and fry them in peanut oil.
Or you could incorporate it with some beaten eggs, cook it and serve it like an omelet.
WHAT’S THE BEST TYPE OF RICE FOR RISOTTO?
The best rice to use for risotto is Arborio rice which is equivalent to long grain rice. This rice swells to at least three times its original size during cooking, absorbing all the cooking liquid whilst still retaining it s shape and firm texture.
So here are just 3 risotto recipes to start off with. I am sure you will love them just as much as we do.
SUPER EASY, SUPER QUICK
