“So should we add butter or cheese to our risotto?” I asked Gioia as we started to prepare the main dish on the menu for our cooking class: Seafood Risotto.
“No! Fish and cheese should never served together,” came Gioia’s rapid reply. “And we never add all that extra butter and cheese at home like the restaurants do – it makes it too rich. Risotto should be a healthy meal. The rice is digested within the hour. It shouldn’t be heavy.”
This was surprising fact number one. I have often felt inadequate making risotto at home, for the fact that it never quite comes out as insanely creamy as it does in restaurants. The creaminess in fact has put me off ordering this dish in the past.
Surprising fact number too: figuring out how long to cook the rice for. I imagined there must be some secret trick, but other than having a pot of boiling water (not stock) on the stove, to add as the rice thickens, Gioia’s advice was clear: “Just follow the directions on the box. Each brand of rice is slightly different, so it’s best to follow the instructions.’
Ah, okay then. Even I can do that. So here’s the recipe so you can make your own yummy seafood risotto at home. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
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