The 10 Best Risotto Recipes

Method:

A risotto worth sitting down for

This risotto is bright and fragrant, with enough butter and cheese to soften the lemon without hiding it. Allow about 30 minutes. The zest supplies the perfume; the juice is added cautiously, so dinner tastes fresh rather than sharply sour. 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 mild vegetable stock. Wash the lemon well and finely grate only its yellow skin, leaving the bitter white pith behind. Squeeze the juice into a small bowl. Finely chop the shallot and grate the Parmesan.

Build the flavour

Soften the shallot in 20 g butter in a wide pan for four to five minutes, keeping it pale. Add the rice and toast gently for two minutes, stirring to coat every grain.

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 and stir in the remaining 20 g cold butter and 60 g finely grated Parmesan until glossy. Add the zest, keeping a little for the plates, and one tablespoon of lemon juice. Taste before adding a second tablespoon; you may not need the rest of the juice.

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.