Culture

Risotto is a favourite meal of mine. The simplest ingredients somehow combine to form a delicious, comforting dish that is incredibly easy to prepare. The process involves dry cooking the rice for a few minutes, then adding liquid in parts until the grains are creamy and just soft. Once you’ve mastered that, you can experiment as you please with ingredients. Olive oil, garlic and cheese with a sprinkling of oregano make for a tasty risotto. Here I marry smoky chorizo and mushrooms. You can substitute the chorizo for chopped bacon rashers, the mushrooms for frozen peas, or add the sliced white of a leek when softening the onion. Got a splash or two of white wine left over from your rowdy Saturday night? Unlikely, but if so, tip it in. Season with plenty of cracked pepper and you’re away laughing.

Ingredients

• 3 tbs olive oil
• 2 or 3 chorizo sticks, sliced
• 2 brown onions, peeled and diced
• 4 garlic cloves, peel and roughly chopped
• 2 cups short grain rice (arborio works a charm but costs more)
• A splash or two of white wine (optional)
• 6 to 7 cups liquid chicken stock (make it up from the powdered variety)
• 300g Portobello or button mushrooms
• A handful of grated cheese, such as edam or parmesan (optional)

In a wide saucepan, heat the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the chorizo, and cook for a minute, stirring. Remove chorizo from pan and set aside. Keep the oil in the pan as it will be imbued with the rich smokiness from the chorizo. If using bacon, follow the same process.

Add the onions to the pan, cook for two minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.

Add the rice, and cook for three minutes, or until the grains are clear. Don’t let the rice brown. Stir continuously so that it doesn’t stick.

If using wine, add it to the pan now. It will sizzle. It will smell good. Keep stirring.
Add 1 cup of the stock, stirring the rice occasionally. When the liquid has been absorbed into the rice, continue to add the stock in 1/2 cup batches. Repeat until all the stock is used - around 25 minutes. Throw in the mushrooms and the chorizo in the final ten minutes.

If using cheese, stir through just before serving.

Risotto can be served slightly sloppy, like those who frequent Monkey Bar, or of a drier consistency. Use more or less stock accordingly. As long as the rice is cooked (it shouldn’t be chewy, but a slight “bite” is okay), and the flavours are tickling your tastebuds nicely, your flatmates should love you.

This pan of goodness will cost you around $16 to make, and will serve four to five people.

Photo courtesy of James Stringer