Two days ago I made risotto for the first time. It was kind of meh. Not bad, but didn’t knock your socks off.
Yesterday I made risotto cakes out of the leftovers - make a patty of the risotto, stuff a few bits of fontina inside, dip in egg, then breadcrumbs, then fry. Yowza! They were divine.
So I’m definitely making risotto again, if only for the leftovers. My question (being a wine ignoramus) is what kind of white wine to use in making it. I tried Pinot Grigio this time, and it detracted from the dish by being intrusively grapey and fruity - not sweet, but it smelled just like Welch’s White Grape, which doesn’t meld well with onions and chicken stock.
I almost always use a dry wine, probably from Alsace (don’t know what grape as it doesn’t work that way in France) but some of the best risottos I’ve made have been with dry Martini
Many people (not saying you) don;t like risotto the first time around because the make it too think and dry. Risotto should not pile up on your plate. Risotto should crawl across it.
Heh. Except in Alsace, where they actually do use grape names, and are known for their Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Gris (same as Pinot Grigio.)
I would think a Pinot Grigio would be fine, but if you didn’t like it, I second the suggestions of a Sauv Blanc or an unoaked Chard if it’s all you can find. Otherwise I’m a fan of keeping ‘regional’ with food and wine, even when it’s used for cooking. Look for other Italian whites like Trebbiano, Malvasia or Soave.
Evidently, pretty damn near. Nice thing is you can do it with considerably less oil.
The Swan, I’m quite sure I overcooked it, not merely once, but at several points in the process - both the onions and the rice got some caramelization, which isn’t right for the recipe I had, at least. But at that point I was hungry enough that it was better to forge ahead rather than trash it and start over.
Thanks all - I will probably try all the recommendations given here - what’s the fun in making a recipe the same way twice anyway?
