Rachel Allen
In the second week of her January comfort-food series, Rachel Allen has some simple, delicious recipes for one of the world’s most famous rice dishes
Comfort-food month continues with delicious risottos
Risotto, one of the most famous rice dishes in the world, is, for me, comfort food at its best. I find the slow, methodical process of gradually adding the stock into the rice soothing in itself. As the rice releases its starch from the almost constant stirring, you get a dish that’s naturally creamy and velvety.
There are a few different varieties of rice that work well in risotto. Short-grain rice is always used, some types are more starchy than others. The main varieties used are carnaroli, vialone nano and arborio, but as with rice grown all over the world, the altitude and particular climate in which each rice variety is grown plays a huge part in how it cooks and tastes.
I love how the Italians are such purists, and don’t like to go off-piste with their recipes. The classic risotto alla Parmigiana, far right, is a perfect example of this. I remember being shown by an Italian lady in Venice how this dish should be served: on a plate that’s just at room temperature. As the hot risotto runs to the edge of the plate (the risotto shouldn’t be thick — it should spill to the sides of the plate) the plate gradually warms up, and the risotto, eaten from the edges in, is at the perfect temperature all the time.
So now, with the risk of being unconventional, I also want to talk about other types of risotto.
The baked mushroom risotto, far right, is not classically made in that it is baked and not cooked on the hob, but it is a delicious plate of food, that is just perfect for this time of the year.
And then for this risotto recipe, right, I’m totally going against the grain, so to speak, and using barley in what is a most comforting and hearty bite of food, with roasted squash and spicy chorizo. Delicious.
“I love how the Italians are such purists and don’t like to go off-piste with their recipes”