When finished, the rice will be saucy, and the texture of the rice grains will have a little bite to it (not crunchy, not mushy). Be prepared to do a lot of sampling to determine when the rice is finished cooking. Make sure you have access to a sink with hot water nearby to keep refilling your measuring glass. The recipe below can be varied by using wine as part of the liquid, different cheeses, adding mushrooms or various meats, and using different spices. One cup of rice may not seem like much, but it yields quite a bit in the end.
Here is a rule of thumb during cooking: While there is still a lot of water in the pot, the rice needs to be stirred just often enough so as not to stick to the pot, not contantly. As the water gets lower, you will need to stir more often. When the water is mostly absorbed, you will need to keep stirring constantly, especially as the risotto gets closer to being fully cooked. It is very important to stir often enough, or you will have a burnt mess sticking to the bottom of your pot.
1. Assemble everything beforehand so everything is ready to go:
> 2 cloves minced garlic
> 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
> 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
> 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
> 1 cup HOT water (a Pyrex measuring glass is good for this)
2. In a 3 quart heavy gauge saucepan, add:
> 1 cup rice and
> half a stick (1/4 cup) butter [OR, 1/4 cup olive oil].
3. Brown the rice in the butter (or oil) over MEDIUM heat, stirring constantly. When the rice is golden, stir in the minced garlic. Then add one cup of hot water, stirring constantly. Cook this down until there is just a little water left. Meanwhile, get another cup of hot water ready.
4. Add another cup of hot water, the chicken bouillon, and parsley. Cook down until there is just a little water left. Meanwhile, get half a cup of hot water ready.
5. Add another half cup of water and the sundried tomatoes. Again, get another half cup of hot water ready and cook/stir the rice until there is just a little water remaining.
6. Keep repeating: add half a cup of water and cook down while stirring the rice. This requires patience. When the rice looks like it's almost finished, you will need to start sampling (tasting) it to check for the finished texture.
7. Once you've decided that the rice is finished, cook down the remaining water. The final sauce will be thick and saucy. It shouldn't be completely dried out, and actually will be a little soupy-like. Turn off the heat and stir in the grated cheese until completely blended. Transfer to a serving dish. Allow the steam to release for several minutes and then stir again. This extra time of letting the steam off will take away some of the soupiness, so that it will have just the right amount of sauce when being served.
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| This rosotto was served with fresh butter-cooked green beans and breaded tilapia fish filets. The tilapia was a frozen product by the company, Odyssey ("Treasures from the Sea: Parmesan Encrusted Tilapia") |
