A Chef’s Advice for Relaxation: Stir Some Risotto

in historical risotto making regions in Italy, the rice is never stirred. the idea of allowing the evaporation of stock while cooking is frowned upon. the inside of the grain will be undercooked, in relation to the outside. I met gabriele ferron in his "kilometers zero" fattoria (rice fields, ancient rice mill and restaurant all in one outside verona) over the years. the divine texture of a perfectly cooked grain of vialone nano is like nothing these chefs with their pomp and stirring can produce. please send someone from the times to try real risotto: it's time.

i love risotto, but it is one of the three dishes i do not make at home, so i can savor them whenever dining out. (the other two are eggplant parmagiana and a good thick delicious piece of expensive beef!). now, however i am really tempted to make this risotto. i love to cook and am often stressed... the stirring reminds me of my pleasurable de-stress moments during thanksgiving cooking when i stir the gravy. i once read a piece of advice that said to stir the gravy calmly, serenely and let no one hurry you. wave away any interrupters. this risotto sounds like a similar type of zen exercise.

Ohhhhh. You had met at "tallegio."

I remember my Milanese husband explain (in English) to someone how to cook risotto, “You have to be rude to the rice”.

Dear Ruth and her much lamented partner, Rose, introduced me to the joys of risotto way back then, thirty years ago at the River Cafe. It's the best, pure and simple. Oh, you can quibble about this or that ingredient - isn't that part of the joy of cooking. But, living in London in London in those days, before Carluccio, and long before Mario Batali, godhelpus, the River Cafe was our introduction to the real taste of Italy. The first, Blue book, is falling apart and the others aren't far behind. It makes me very happy to see Ruthie and the River Cafe thriving.

Melissa. I really miss your wonderful cooking videos!!!

The best risotto I've ever had was on the island of Burano in the Venetian lagoon at Trattoria Da Romano. They make a stock from an otherwise useless little fish called a goh but the risotto contains no actual fish. No other risotto has come close. The problem with restaurant risottos is that most don't want to take the time to make it to order and it comes to you glumpy and overdone. A good risotto should be slightly soupy but with the rice retaining an al dente bite.

Nettle is very easy to prepare provided you are careful to pick only the tips that are immaculate. I just use secateurs and a plastic container to catch each sprig as I cut it. Dunk in water for a few minutes and then steam gently. Or you can simply blend roughly. Either removes the stinging. Wonderful earthy flavour. And of course that brilliant green colour. Makes great pesto too.Mix with chopped dandelion leaves to add a slight bitterness. Delicious. (And very good for you provided you are not a pesticide/herbicide user in the garden. But then, bought vegetables contain residues of these too...)

I love to make risotto and will definitely try this recipe. I LOVE River Cafe in London! I've had some of the best meals I've ever eaten there. I'll be there in June and hopefully they'll have the risotto on the menu then.

Is it really necessary to place a towel inside the colander? Can't the spinach just be well drained?

I always found stirring risotto to be more irritating than relaxing -- I mostly ate it in restaurants because it was such a pain. Then 20 years ago someone gave me Barbara Kafka's Microwave Gourmet, which includes her recipe for microwave risotto. Takes 22 minutes plus a rest, and you stir it exactly twice. I've never made it the traditional way since. I now have risotto once a week, and it's one of my go-to dinner party entrees, because it's customizable (with shrimp, bay scallops, calamari and mussels; with spinach and cheese; with asparagus and mushroom) and it easily accommodates food restrictions (it's gluten free, it can be vegan, it can even be non-dairy if you pass the cheese on the side, admittedly not ideal but doable), and it allows me to spend time with my guests instead of standing at the stove adding labels of broth.

I have never devoured a risotto I didn't like, some were just better than others. This particular recipe appears extremely intriguing. The green from the spinach is so vibrant and fresh! Not sure about the "earthy taleggio cheese". Not being much a of cheese fan, is there a substitute one could use? Something perhaps less intense? I smiled when I read the sentence, “Risotto is such a relaxing thing to make because of the slowness of it,” she said in a recent phone call. “It’s got a soothing rhythm that’s good when you’re anxious about something.” I always felt the same way whenever I would knead bread or wash/dry dishes. I have always find SOME THING in the kitchen that would relax me, especially when I was anxious about something. Often times, nibbling on a rich slice of chocolate cake would do the trick. Another wonderful article Ms. Clark. Nothing says comfort and enjoyment than a rich and delectable bowl of risotto. Sometimes I think it's one of the greatest underappreciated and undervalued dish around.