They partially cook large batches, cool it on sheet pans, then finish it to order.
Takes me 20 minutes - are you cooking at full boil, Quicksilver?
When I posted this earlier this year, I got a lot or replies about risotto only needing 20 minutes of cooking time. Well, it’s fall again, which means it’s risotto time again. So I made some last night with the usual great results. However, from the time the rice hit the pan to mix with the cooking shallots and hot oil to get pearly, to the moment I plated, it took a full 40 minutes. So I’m not sure how others claim to be able to cook it in half the time. I suppose some accommodation must be given consideration when judging the level of done-ness. We don’t like it when it’s very al-dente. But we avoid making it mushy. It definitely has bite. Just not crunch.
So maybe the cooking laws on my stove are different. Or it might be the type of rice itself. We use Carnerolli or Vialone Nano rice. Which may be somewhat more resilient than standard arborio. Hence the time difference. <shrug>
But since these differences in cooking time were bugging me a little bit, I thought I’d post my latest (unchanged) findings.
Again - are you cooking it at full boil while you add the stock, or just a simmer?
Gas range. Large burner. Medium heat. Rounded bottom, heavy guage stainless steel pot. Stock is on adjacent burner on simmer. The rice is constantly bubbling.
If I crank it up to high, the rice will burn.
I generally cook it over medium-high heat. Enough so it’s boiling. Never had a problem with burning–you’re constantly stirring and adding liquid to release the starches and it doesn’t burn. Maybe you can get worried about that at around the 20-25 minute mark, where it’s almost done and you’re not adding much more liquid, but I don’t really see how you can burn it otherwise. Here’s a reasonable video of the technique. He says 20-30 minutes start to finish, which is what it takes me.
From that link, two things:
…Which is the technique I follow and as a result how much time I’m finding it takes to cook a cup and half to two cups of uncooked rice from the point it hits the hot pan. Because: it takes at least 5 minutes (or so) to get it to a state where the grains turn semi-translucent in the butter and shallots, and another 5 minutes or so for the white wine to reduce before I start adding the stock.
He says 20-25 minutes start to finish in the video. That corresponds with my experiences. Remember, in my 20-25 minutes quote, I said from when the hot stock hits the rice. Your experience originally said something like an hour, which is what I was responding to. That’s unusually long. If you start counting from rice hitting the pan, then revise my cooking time to 25-30 minutes. (Maybe my heat is closer to medium–I’ll check next time I do it.)
Looking at Marcella Hazan’s English-language Bible of Italian Cookery (Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking) she recommends starting at a medium-high heat, and says, during the adding broth step “maintain heat at a lively pace.” She then says to start checking at 20 minutes and cook until at the desired level of doneness.
Now, if it takes you longer, there’s nothing wrong with that. Risotto is done when it’s done. Variations in technique, rice, temps, size of cooking vessel, etc., will affect the time, but personally 20-30 minutes, depending on when we’re starting our stopwatch, is normal for me and my methods.
The nearly an hour total time includes the saute-ing of the mushrooms. With a couple of pints of shrooms in the pan it takes a bit of time to get them to a state where they are just getting golden around the edges.
The lemony comfort risotto from Nigella Lawson’s Nigella Bites cookbook. Cook the rice with onions and chicken stock, then finish it with cream, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and lots of pepper. There may be an egg yolk too, if you want something really sinful.
Haven’t made it in a decade. I’m insulin resistant these days, so I shouldn’t make it for another decade, at least.
I cooked up this winter squash and sage risottoa couple weeks ago, using butternut squash from our community garden, and it was great!
I don’t have much add, but I agree that milk or cream doesn’t belong in risotto. Also,it shouldn’t be piled up on the plate. If it is, it’s way too thick.
Then I think that’s your timing answer. It seems that most/all of the posters who mention 20-25 minutes are talking about how long it takes to make the rice. Note again that I say “once I hit the rice with the hot stock” and Soul Brother Number Two says “after the rice.” It seemed to me that you were talking about from when the rice goes in, because you said exactly that: “it still takes me almost a full hour once the rice goes in.” So I’m a bit confused.
Last night, for example, it took 40 minutes from the time I dropped the rice in to the time it was ready to serve. That’s the better part of an hour to me. Nothing resembling 20 minute risotto that some recipes/posters are calling for. When you add the prep time and the time to saute the mushrooms, it’s easily an hour, start to finish.
But that’s not what you said. You said, once again “it still takes me almost a full hour once the rice goes in.” All the posters, so far as I can tell, are talking about how long it takes to make the rice. That’s what I was surprised by, and that’s what some other posters found odd. Regardless, from start to finish from what you describe would be about 40-45 minutes for me. If it takes longer for you that’s fine. There’s a lot of variables involved, and food is done when it’s done, not according to some definite time schedule. 40 minutes for just the rice is longer than it takes me by about 15 minutes. If it takes you longer, that’s okay. It’s not a contest.
Three different times I looked at the thread title and saw “Share your favorite ghetto recipes” and immediately thought of Auntie Fee. I don’t think she has a risotto recipe, though.
Not if you’re stirring and adding stock, it won’t. Crank it up.
It’s practically a competitive sport at my house. 