Moscato Arborio base

Risotto rice, and arborio specifically, is treated like a god in kitchens. Nearly every chef I know is rampant in their knowledge that ‘their’ risotto is the most traditional, and all those that have presented to me in such a way have produced something different. Like anything that can be cooked and eaten, I have done this recipe my way, a way that gives me pleasure. I am certain building a risotto base with mostly wine as it’s base stock would rustle some former colleagues feathers, but they can lick the bag on this one.

300g arborio rice

1 medium sized brown onion

1 heaped tspn crushed garlic

5g picked thyme

500ml mascato wine

400ml water

Apparatus

1 large frying Pan

1 wooden spoon

1 heavy based, medium sized pot

A chefs knife

Method

Place your wine and water into the pot, then bring it to a simmer. I mixed the wine with water so the wine wasn’t super strong, but decided water was better than stock so I wouldn’t lose the Moscato flavour entirely.

Finely dice your onion, bring your frying pan up to a medium heat, then apply some oil, and the diced onion.

Sauté the onion, without colouring it, until translucent, then add the garlic, thyme and rice. At this point you’re looking to sauté the rice enough so that it becomes partially translucent, but you don’t want to colour anything either. Once you think the rice has cooked/warmed enough to become translucent, apply 3/4 of the wine stock.

Mix through the rice base with the wine stock and allow it to simmer on a medium heat, stirring occasionally.

When most of the stock has been absorbed by the rice, pick up a few granules of rice and put them in your face. You’re looking for the rice to be what chef’s call al-dente. Al-dente translates to ‘to the tooth’. It is what us chefs refer to as cooking something to a point where we can rest it, then heat it up later, the product finishes cooking, and we don’t over cook it.

Still slightly crunchy rice is okay, but this recipe has called for me to make something strait away. Apply your remaining stock if you have decided to cook the rice right the way through.

#Pro-tip. As referred to in the methods, cooking food al-dente is a massive part of what chefs do in a professional kitchen. Pre-cooking vegetables, mash potatoes, braised meats, and of course, risotto base, is common practice in any kitchen. On of the keys to doing al-dente correctly is not to over-season what you are preparing. My risotto base is going to be rolled, stuffed, and crumbed, then served with other things. I don’t want to over-season it, as I will season every other element of the dish. Don’t over-season your al-dente prepared foods, especially risotto base.

As this rice is being cooked for arancini, place your fully cooked rice into a storage container, let it cool on the bench for half an hour, then place it into the fridge over night.

References

Veteran kitchen life, 2000- present