Creamy Garlic Parmesan Risotto Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the trick to creamy risotto? ›

Keep in mind a ratio of one cup of rice to two and a half cups of stock, adding in a touch more stock to achieve that creamy, silky consistency if you wind up cooking your rice a bit too long.

Add 4-8 ounces of warm chicken stock at a time while constantly stirring until it has been incorporated into the arborio rice. Repeat the process until the rice is al dente or slightly crunchy, which takes about 20-25 minutes on low heat. Finish by stirring in heavy cream, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.

Sure, whipped cream won't save a gluey or gummy risotto (hey, there's always arancini), but it will make good risotto recipes even better. In the corn risotto recipe, that means whipping ½ cup of heavy cream to stiff peaks and then gently folding it into the pot.

Pour in a quarter of the chicken broth, bring to a boil and cook until absorbed, stirring frequently. Gradually stir in the rest of the broth over a period of about 15 minutes, adding more as each previous amount is absorbed. This helps to give you a creamy risotto.

We par cook it. We make the recipe without finishing it with cream or butter or cheese. We pour the hot risotto onto a sheet tray to cool quickly and then store it in a container. Once we are ready to serve, we reheat the risotto with a little chicken stock, and finish with cream, butter, and some parmesan cheese.

Using the Wrong Type of Rice

Avoid using long-grain rice like basmati or jasmine for risotto, as they don't have enough starch content to achieve risotto's signature creaminess. The type of rice you should be using when making risotto is called Arborio rice, which is available at most supermarkets.

The key, instead, is to undercook the risotto and cool it rapidly to prevent that rice from overcooking, so you can easily finish cooking it later.

Many people mistakenly think that butter, and lots of it, is required as the finish, to make risotto creamy. Olive oil at the end adds a nice complexity that does not alter the essential flavor of the risotto: it is, in my opinion, a cleaner finish.

What gives risotto a creamy texture? ›

The type of rice for making risotto is vital because the creaminess comes from slowly coaxing the starch out of the rice as it is cooked and stirred. Brown risotto rice, which contains the hull and/or germ will contain more fiber and nutrients; however, it won't be as nearly as creamy as risotto made with white rice.

If you are able to get white wine vinegar then you can add a tablespoon of this to the rice and let it boil away before adding any stock and this will often give some of the flavour of wine, whilst reducing the alcohol content.

In an interview with Food & Wine, Antonio Salvatore, head chef of Rampoldi Monte Carlo (a Michelin-starred restaurant on the rise), advises, "It's much better to stir [risotto] once every 30 seconds and trust the cooking process to do its thing." Less is more, but too little is too late, and too much means cement ... ...

Properly cooked risotto is rich and creamy even if no cream is added due to the starch in the grains. It has some resistance or bite (al dente) and separate grains.

Milk and cornstarch

To replace 1 cup (237 mL) of heavy cream in your recipe, add 2 tablespoons (19 grams) of cornstarch to 1 cup (237 mL) of milk and stir, allowing the mixture to thicken. You can use whole milk or opt for skim milk to help slash the calories and fat content of your recipe.

If you are able to get white wine vinegar then you can add a tablespoon of this to the rice and let it boil away before adding any stock and this will often give some of the flavour of wine, whilst reducing the alcohol content.