The 10 Best Risotto Recipes

Method:

A risotto worth sitting down for

Gorgonzola turns a simple risotto into something generous and deeply savoury. Allow about 30 minutes. Use the softer dolce variety for a gentle blue-cheese flavour that melts easily into the rice; the cheese supplies plenty of character without cream or extra Parmesan. This recipe serves four. Set out the ingredients before you start and use Carnaroli or Arborio rice, without rinsing it: its starch is what makes the risotto creamy.

Before you start

Heat 1.2 litres of lightly salted vegetable stock. Finely chop the shallot. Remove the rind from the Gorgonzola and weigh out 150 g of cheese, then cut it into small pieces. Keep the butter for finishing cold until you need it.

Build the flavour

Melt 20 g butter in a wide pan and soften the shallot over low heat for five minutes without browning. Add the rice and toast for two minutes, stirring so all the grains become hot and coated in butter.

Cook the rice

Add hot stock a ladle at a time, keeping the rice at a gentle, steady simmer. Stir regularly, sweeping the bottom of the pan, and add more liquid when the previous ladle is mostly absorbed, before the rice dries out. Start tasting after 15 minutes; most risotto rice needs 16–20 minutes from the first stock addition. It should be tender with a little resistance in the centre. You may not need all the stock; if it runs out, use hot water.

Finish and serve

Take the pan off the heat. Add the Gorgonzola and the remaining 20 g cold butter, and stir gently until the cheese melts into the rice. If it feels too thick, add a little hot stock. Taste only after the cheese has melted before deciding how much salt is needed.

Taste for salt and pepper, then leave to rest for two minutes. Loosen with a splash of hot liquid if needed: the risotto should spread gently across a warm plate when you tap it, rather than sit in a stiff mound. Bring everyone to the table before serving; this is a dish that rewards being eaten straight away.