Simple Risotto
I made this up when I had nothing in the house and didn’t feel like ordering food. I walked in the kitchen, saw an onion, and immediately thought risotto. It sounded perfectly satisfying but with just enough effort to make me feel accomplished.
In my excitement to have finally settled on dinner, I had already started cooking the onion when I realized I was out of chicken stock. In a tizzy to somehow add more flavor, I threw in some anchovy paste. Panicking that it was too fishy, I also added some tomato paste. At this point I was both stressed I had messed up the most simple dish and curious to see if I had just done something. The flavors were so intense and it turned out insanely creamy. Do not skip out on stirring! I stirred it literally the whole time it cooked, and really, it is definitely worth it.
(chili oil not pictured)
Ingredients
2-4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, small diced
4 cloves of garlic, crushed and roughly chopped
1-2 tsp anchovy paste
1-2 tsp tomato paste
2-4 tablespoons of better than bouillon, or 4-6 cups of chicken stock, hot
2 cups arborio rice
1-2 tablespoons butter
fresh parsley, to garnish
chili oil, to garnish
Heat a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil and onions. Season lightly with salt and pepper. They should sizzle but the heat shouldn’t be too high. Cook for 5-8 minutes until softened and starting to become translucent, but haven’t taken on any color. Add the garlic and toast 1 minute. Add the anchovy paste and cook 1 more minute. It will smelly fishy - don’t stress. Add the tomato paste and cook 2-3 minutes, until the color darkens to a burnt sienna.
Once the tomato paste has darkened in color, add the better than bouillon and mix among the veggies. If using chicken stock, skip this step. Add the rice and mix everything well. If mixture is looking dry, add more olive oil. Cook for 2-3 minutes, mixing often.
If you have white wine laying around, add about 1/2 cup. Otherwise, add enough boiling water or chicken stock to moisten the rice, about 1 cup. At this point, you will have to be mixing the whole time or at least very often. Grab a drink and someone to keep you company while it cooks. Keep adding liquid slowly, with the temperature around medium heat. Check it for seasoning. Keep in mind that better than bouillon is very salty, so you may not have to add salt at all. It should be bubbling gently but not aggressively simmering. If you have an old parmesan rind in the freezer, throw it in.
Keep adding hot water or stock in small increments. The rice should stay moist and have enough liquid to bubble the whole time, but never be very soupy. Cook and stir until the rice is cooked to your liking, about 20 minutes. By the time the rice is cooked, the grains will be suspended in a starchy, creamy liquid. It should flow and require a bowl. Stir in a small knob of cold butter to really finish the sauce, and parmesan if you have it. I didn’t have any the day I wrote this and it still turned out incredibly cheesy. Check it for seasoning. Add some lemon zest if you have a lemon around.
Serve as much as you’d like in a bowl as soon as it’s ready. My chef instructor in school always said that risotto waits for no one - and it really isn’t the same after it’s sat for awhile. Top with some torn leaves of parsley, chili oil, and freshly cracked pepper.
