Serves: 4-6
Time: 30 minutes for the broth + 45 minutes for the risotto

Ingredients

• 400g arborio rice
• 50g unsalted butter
• 115ml white wine (still, not sparkling!)
• 2 pints broth – meat or vegetable (or simply use stock if you don’t have time to prepare this in advance)
• 1 onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 tablespoons of chopped oregano
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 25g grated parmesan (optional)
• 50g Bel Paese cheese (optional)

Preparation

Start off by preparing your broth

For vegetable broth you’ll need:

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion
• 2 carrots (medium – large)
• 1 stick of celery
• Herbs of choice (parsley, oregano, thyme)
• Salt and pepper

First, heat the oil in a large pot. Then chop the vegetables and add to the pot with 2 litres of water. Add the herbs, salt and pepper then bring to the boil and leave to simmer for 30 minutes or until the water has absorbed the full flavour. Pour into a strainer and discard the chunks of vegetables, so you’re left with a flavoursome broth.

Then prepare the Risotto

1. Start off with a ‘soffritto‘ and melt the butter in a saucepan along with finely chopped onion, frying for about five minutes or until golden
2. Next, add the arborio rice and stir thoroughly until it’s fully coated in the butter. Fry for approximately 2-3 minutes
3. Add the white wine and mix until it has combined with the rice
4. Then pour 1/2 pint of the stock into the saucepan and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and leave to simmer, allowing time for the liquids to be absorbed by the rice. During this time you should be stirring frequently
5. Here comes the tricky part: Continue adding 1/2 a pint of stock at a time. Each time repeat the process of mixing, allowing the liquid to be fully absorbed and then (and only then) adding more. If the stock is added in one go it won’t be absorbed properly. So remember patience is key here. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day!
6. After about 20 minutes this process should be complete and the rice should be creamy yet al dente
7. The next part is called the ‘mantecatura‘. Take the risotto off the heat and stir a tablespoon of butter in thoroughly. This is what really sets Italian risotto apart and gives it that creamy texture
8. Optional: if you want a cheesy risotto add parmesan and some Bel Paese chopped into small squares and fold both cheeses into the rice at the mantecatura stage. Do this for about 2 minutes until the cheeses have melted through
9. Finally, add the oregano and salt and pepper to taste and serve with a freshly made salad, or a glass of red wine (or both!)