You asked: Why do you have to add liquid to risotto a little at a time?
Q: Why do we add broth to risotto a bit at a time? What difference does it make whether I do that or pour it in all at once? I understand that putting it in bit by bit results in adding just the right amount, but could I put in 80% of the amount of liquid at once and then finish it a little at a time?
A: The traditional method for cooking a basic risotto goes something like this:
• Sauté diced onion in a skillet with some fat.
• Stir in a short-grain rice to coat it in the fat (and maybe toast it for extra flavor).
• Then, one ladle at a time, add hot liquid while constantly stirring.
• Repeat adding ladles of hot liquid until the rice is perfectly al dente.
• Finish with butter, parmesan cheese and salt, to taste.
Part of the reason for adding liquid bit by bit and regularly stirring is to draw out more of the rice’s starches, which helps to create the creamy texture that is a defining characteristic of the dish. Another trademark of “a true Italian risotto is you can bite into and discern each individual grain of rice,” Chicago-based chef Joe Sasto said over a video call. (The risotto should also have a consistency where it pools loosely on a plate.)
Sasto used to follow this traditional cooking method so as to not overcook the rice and make it too mushy. “That’s kind of the training wheels, if you will, to make sure people don’t mess up risotto,” he said. But now he knows that there are other paths to risotto perfection, as reflected in the title of his upcoming debut cookbook, “Breaking the Rules,” which is something he’s all about.
During a tour of the Acquerello rice estate in Italy, his guide offered to make him risotto for lunch. Assuming they would prepare it the way he had learned working in Michelin-starred kitchens throughout his career, Sasto said his “mind almost exploded” as he watched her dump the rice in a pot of boiling liquid, put the lid on and walk away to show off more of the building.
When they returned to the kitchen, “it was perfect.” No slowly adding liquid. No stirring. “I couldn’t believe my eyes.”
The key, it turns out, is the rice. Acquerello produces Carnaroli rice instead of the more common arborio variety. (Carnaroli can be found online and in specialty stores.)
Carnaroli is a little bit longer and has a slightly higher starch content than arborio. “It is a much more robust rice that is going to stay al dente, that is not going to become mushy and is not going to really be prone to overcook,” Sasto said. Arborio is “a weaker rice. It gets softer, it gets creamier and it gets mushy much more easily.”
For this rule-breaking method, Sasto says to bring 4 parts liquid to a boil, stir in 1 part Carnaroli rice, cover and cook until al dente, about 12 minutes. Then, finish it with cheese, butter and salt as in the traditional process. He says you can get similar results using arborio with a ratio of 3 parts liquid to 1 part rice, but then, of course, you run the risk of it getting mushy. That’s where you, the cook, come in.
“I think part of being a cook, whether you’re a novice or experienced, is treating a recipe like a road map. You still have to drive the car.” A recipe developer can spell out the directions to the best of their ability, but you still need to take into account various cues, equipment and ingredients to adjust as you go along to reach your desired destination. And for Sasto, he wants that to be more risotto on the weeknight dinner table.