Basic Risotto

I'm not feeling so hot today. I think I'm coming down with the flu, right before a business trip. When I get sick I crave homey things. One thing that I LOVE is risotto. You can add lots of different flavors to risotto because it really absorbs whatever you put in it. I made a classic risotto because I have a sore throat and didn't feel like getting fancy. The trick to risotto is to add the broth a little at a time and constantly stir. So pull up a stool, pour yourself a glass of wine (if you're not under the weather) and start working those arm muscles, it's worth it in the end.


Risotto

1 shallot, finely diced
2 cups of aborio rice
1/2 -3/4 cup dry white wine
5-6 cups of hot chicken stock (put it in a sauce pan and keep it on medium low on the stove)
olive oil
salt and pepper
fresh thyme leaves
Parmesan cheese


In a deep and wide sauce pan, heat the olive oil. Add shallots and saute till translucent, don't burn. Add the rice and stir for a few minutes till the rice starts to become a little translucent at the ends. Add the wine and stir, scraping the bits off the bottom of the pan.


Start ladling the chicken stock 2 ladle fulls at a time into the rice. Adjust the heat to medium/medium high to make the liquid evaporate at 2-3 minute intervals. Keep ladling in the stock every 2-3 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed. After about 15-18 minutes of stirring, season with the salt, pepper, and thyme and taste. Adjust to your likings of salty and pepperiness. Once the rice is soft but still a little al dente, pull off the heat and grate Parmesan cheese on top. Consume.


*You can add mushrooms and more thyme to make a delicious second risotto.