Posted on: Wednesday, October 27, 2004

The secret of rapid risotto is the fridge

By Jim Coleman and Candace Hagan
Knight Ridder News Service

Have you ever questioned how risotto can appear on a restaurant menu, sometimes as an appetizer, and 10 minutes after your order is placed it comes flying out to the table even though, at home, risotto is supposed to take a good half an hour of stirring? No, it's not that you're enjoying yourself so much that you've lost all track of time.

There's a little-known secret about restaurant risotto cooking. Let's agree that we are going to use 1 1/2 cups of arborio rice and that we plan to feed about six normal people (or four hefty eaters). We will also agree that although not all arborio rice is exactly the same, on average it will absorb 4 1/2 to 6 cups of liquid.

Here's the trick (and it applies to any risotto recipe). Starting the day before you intend to serve it, begin to prepare your risotto according to the recipe.

After you have sauteed your rice with shallots, onions, garlic, or whatever suits your taste, slowly add up to 3 1/2 cups of liquid. As soon as it has been absorbed, immediately remove your pan from the heat. Spoon the partially cooked risotto out onto a cookie sheet in a thin layer so it can cool down quickly. Then place the cookie sheet in the refrigerator.

About half an hour before you are ready to serve dinner, remove the risotto from the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature.

Just before dinner, put 1/2 cup of the remaining liquid in a pot on the stove and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Add the risotto and stir until the liquid has been absorbed.

Then add the remaining cup of liquid and cook, stirring until all the liquid has been absorbed. Taste the risotto to make sure it isn't still hard or too al dente — if it is, add a little more liquid and cook slightly longer.

Adjust for salt and pepper and serve immediately.