risotto help

[astrogirl]

hi there,

i am a newbie to thermomix and very much enjoying my experimenting in it thus far! 

My first risotto was no good - gluggy and too much liquid at end and not quite cooked enough.  I was just wondering if i should have used boiling or hot water when adding the water to rice?   I have read about other people having similar problems with this dish on the first attempt so im not too worried - i will try again in a few weeks.  Just wondered what you more experienced people can suggest as tips for the risotto in the EDC.  I was also thinking less water??  maybe 900g instead of 1100? 

Interestingly i had the same issues with the porridge!!  I can see you have to play around a bit to work things out?  most other things i have made have been pretty good for first time though - and so easy!!   thanks in advance for your suggestions

Astrid

[judydawn]

Hi Astrid, welcome to the forum.  Nice to hear you are enjoying the TMX even with some not so successful dishes.  I am not a risotto lover, although I have made it once in the early days, so will leave that to those who do it frequently.   You've certainly got the right idea - play around until you get it right to suit your tastes.  Don't forget to make notes as you go for next time and if any recipe seems far better to you with your tweaks, please let us know in the Review section.

[earth mumma]

Hi Astrid.

When I cook the risotto I usually use 390gm of aborio rice and 1100gm of water, plus 100gm of white wine.  It does come out quite soupy - but not gluggy.  I also make sure that I cook at speed 1.5 - 2 otherwise it gets stuck on the bottom  .  If you don't use  it will chop up your rice and turn it to mush. When it is done I always put it in my Thermoserver for about 5mins before serving as the rice then absorbs the extra liquid.  You can put uncooked washed spinach leaves into your thermoserver and pour your rissotto over the top and in 5 mins they will be perfectly wilted.  If you leave the risotto for more than 5mins it does become quite gluey and not so nice.  Stir your cheese through just before serving for the nicest consistency.  I have had one major failure with risotto and it was becasue my scales were way out - needed to clean the feet and forgot to check this before I started.  My family were not impressed 

Hope this helps.

[brazen20au]

did you sit the risotto i nthe thermoserver for 5-10 mins before serving? should make it perfect

[astrogirl]

hi there,

thanks so much for the replies,

great advice on letting it sit in thermomixer and for pouring over the spinach leaves - i will def try this next time.  i did cook on  and with butterfly in.   still wondering if i need to use boiling or hot water like you would cook  normal risotto?  on the plus side i made risotto cakes tonight  with the copious left overs i had ( pan fried them) and the family loved em!  I'm looking fwd to my second attempt now...

Astrid

[brazen20au]

it will cook quicker with warmer water, that's for sure but mostly i use cold and just cook it around 3-4 minutes longer (my kettle takes that long to boil anyway lol

[faffa_70]

I never use warm or hot water. Leaving it in the Thermoserve is the key  the recipe has been designed for the risotto to be undercooked and placed in the Thermoserve so that it is perfect when you are ready to serve. It is assumed that you would spend that 5 minutes getting organised to serve lol - though as earth mumma says, don't leave it any longer 

[achookwoman]

astrogirl,  I use the same proportions as earth mumma,  and let it sit for awhile in the bowl.   I cover the top with a tea towel to keep it warm.  Even though there are only 2 of us,  I cook the full amount because it reheats very well in the microwave.   I use the left overs like you did and fill the center with cheese or meat sauce.   Keep playing with your TMX and have fun trying new things.

[Shayla]

I agree with the proportions and leaving in thermoserver - one other tip - the brand of arborio rice also seems to make a difference - I find Scotti the best brand (in South Africa) so you can also check that out. I didn't like the risotto at all until i discovered Scotti rice at someone else's demo.

[cathy79]

If the taste of risotto is great but consistency is gluggy, I turn it into fritters.  Just blend up well with some flour and milk to make a pancake like batter.  Then fry.  Then nobody cares about consistency.

Also good for leftover risotto.  Great for freezing for school lunches.

[judydawn]

What a great idea Cathy - you girls are so clever 

[farfallina]

Hi astrogirl

I live in Italy and I thought maybe I could be of some help
I don't have thermoserver, wish I had but I don't It is not very common here

The key about risotto is you have to use the right type of rice! You should use either Carnaroli or Arborio type rice! Carnaroli is a bit superior quality rice but also Arborio works great. They have high starch content and this is what makes risotto so creamy!  I am often using Scotti Carnaroli!

Another thing just to be clear.. you shouldn't wash the rice before you cook! (in some recipes and cuisines it is washed, not this time!)

About cooking time, you can check on the pack because it might vary due to rice. Usually it is around 15-18 minutes

I made different risotto recipes many times and never failed so far. Here in Italy "Bimby" users are very glad because they don't have to stir anymore all the time when they make risotto

I sent a risotto recipe in this blog some time ago. http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=3658.0

I have some others in my blog but I haven't translated them yet. I translate and post them soon, promise

[astrogirl]

wow!  thanks girls - awesome replies!  have jotted all these tips down in my book.  i do use arborio rice but will make sure i find an italian brand.  from what i can gather  - the sitting in thermomix is the key thing  i missed the first time.   i saw it looked soupy and assumed it wasn't cooked enough so cooked it  longer and then made it too mushy.     can'[t wait to try again now!  xo

[Thermomixer]

Sorry astrogirl - which recipe are you using? there are a few.  EDC ? - which edition?

[tasbell]

I use the EDC june 2009 and made the Apricot chicken Risotto style last night and even after resting in thermoserver the rice was still a little undercooked. I even cooked it for a further 5 minutes.