Sausage, Mushroom and Raisin Risotto

I’ll have risotto, please!

Risotto is a dish often associated with high end restaurants. It’s so satisfying and easy to prepare that it’s become one of our favorite meals to make at home.

We’ve taken out the butter, heavy cream and cheese and this risotto still rivals that of any restaurant.

We’re excited to have our friend, Chef Carlo Persia answer a few questions that will seal the deal on making risotto that is guaranteed to impress. Carlo is a passionate Italian chef who knows, loves and lives food. He was a restaurateur in Italy and is currently Executive Chef of Product Development for a large worldwide corporation.

Let’s get the rice advice…

Risotto is more a technique for making a specific type of rice than it is a dish. We’ve seen risotto recipes that give conflicting information from the temperature of the broth to the frequency of stirring.

Types of Rice

The 3 most popular types of risotto rice are Arborio, Carnaroli and Vialone Nano. There are other harder-to-find types of risotto rice such as Baldo, Calriso and Maratelli. With so many varieties, let’s find out Chef Carlo’s favorite.

YAC (Your Allergy Chefs): Chef, what is your favorite rice used in making risotto and why?

Chef Carlo: The Vialone Nano rice is my favorite because you can use it in multiple recipes like soup, salad, and of course, a variety of risotto recipes.

Arborio is not as starchy as Carnaroli, but is the most widely available risotto rice. It can easily be overcooked, turning mushy, but with careful attention can make a great risotto. Carnaroli is often referred to as the “king” of risotto rice. Vialone Nano is famous in the Veneto region of Italy and cannot be grown with chemicals. Vialone Nano cooks faster than Carnaroli and yields a very creamy risotto.

We had trouble locating Vialone Nano rice in our local markets, but found it readily available online.

Rinsing the Rice

YAC: Do you rinse your rice?

Chef Carlo: I don’t rinse the risotto rice. It has been properly cleaned and dried before packaging.

We want the starches that add thick creaminess to the dish when making risotto. For other types of rice where we want fluffy individual grains and not starch, that’s when we rinse the rice. We have seen where some do rinse the rice while keeping the starch. The rice is put in a bowl with a quart of broth. It is then agitated with a spoon for about 20 seconds to release the starch. The rice is then strained over a saucepan where the starchy broth is reserved for making the risotto. We tried this method and found the risotto was toasty and as delicious as always.

Salt

It is important to salt risotto early in the cooking process so the salt penetrates the grains, otherwise you’ll end up with unsalted rice in a seasoned liquid. When the rice is added to the pan at the beginning of the cooking process, season with salt. We do a lot of cooking with minimal or no salt, but risotto is one dish that is transformed by the addition of salt. We don’t leave it out here.

Can I Skip the Wine?

YAC: Chef, do you add wine to your risotto? If so, why?

Chef Carlo: Not all risotto recipes need wine, but in the recipes that requires so, I add it to give a touch of acidity.

There you have it. Skipping the wine is totally up to you. A little science about wine in risotto making is that it is quickly absorbed by the rice kernels, while the alcohol cooks off. The acidity and taste components of the wine balance the starchy character of the rice. However, replacing the wine with broth in recipes will still produce a delicious dish.

To Stir or Not to Stir

There is a much-misunderstood theory of stirring. Many will tell you it’s a must to stir the risotto constantly, while others will say the oppostite.

YAC: Is it necessary to constantly stir during the cooking process?

Chef Carlo: Yes, because if you stir the rice continuously, you can see and control the absorption of the liquid and you can achieve the creaminess you want.

YAC: Chef Carlo, what is your biggest tip to making great risotto?

Chef Carlo: A good boiling broth, the heat of the flame and don’t forget, the wooden spoon! These are the first 3 things that I recommend to the ones that are going to make a risotto.

Did you know the gradual addition of hot broth has a double impact on the rice? It draws out the starches stored in the kernels a little at a time. While this is happening, the kernels are slowly absorbing liquid while cooking.

We love wooden spoons because they are so comfortable in your hand, especially when you are constantly stirring, as when making risotto. Unlike a metal spoon, a wooden spoon has no effect on the temperature of the food it comes in contact with. Another plus for wooden spoons…they are ideal for stirring risotto because they are gentle and do not break the grains.

Broth Versus Stock

The difference between a broth and a stock is that a broth is made by simmering meat and/or vegetables. On the other hand, a stock is made by simmering bones, meat and/or vegetables. A stock tends to be more concentrated and is often diluted. Whereas, a broth can be delicious as is.

No matter what ingredients are used from recipe to recipe, every risotto is created in basically the same way. The best thing about risotto is that it can serve as a blank canvas for almost any addition you can imagine.

We made this week’s recipe vegan by replacing the sausage with peas.

YAC: Chef Carlo, what is your favorite risotto?

Chef Carlo: Absolutely…Pumpkin Risotto with Biscotti Amaretti and Lemon. You can taste the sweetness and crispiness of the biscotti, the saltiness of pumpkin seeds, the acidity of lemon and the creaminess of the pumpkin.

Wow, doesn’t that sound like a fabulous fall risotto as we enter the season?

Thanks, Chef Carlo for sharing key pointers for making the best risotto!

We hope everyone enjoys this Sausage, Mushroom and Raisin Risotto. You’ve got the foundation, so have fun making risotto by substituting your favorite ingredients.

Please comment if you’d like to see Chef Carlo’s “Pumpkin Risotto with Biscotti Amaretti and Lemon” transformed into an allergen-friendly recipe.