How to master risotto and more

STIR IT UP Brought up on this Italian staple, Angela Hartnett knows the power of perfectly cooked rice, whether it’s served silky smooth or with bite in a broth

There’s a skill involved in making a great risotto: it’s not as simple as throwing it all in the pan and hoping for the best. It’s critical not to overcook it, and essential to use a great home-made stock. That’s where a lot of the flavour comes from.

Growing up, I used to spread my risotto flat and eat it from the outside in. Thanks to my Italian roots and the region my grandmother came from, Emilia-romagna, we used to eat lots of mushrooms. For me, porcini is one of the best risottos of all time. Any dried porcini works well; they’re not cheap, but you don’t need a whole load of them. Truffles are coming into season now, and they’re great, too, if you can afford them – but as long as you roast them off, you can still get that lovely autumnal forest flavour from mushrooms instead. The problem with mushroom risotto is that it became the standard vegetarian dish on menus, before people began to understand how to serve vegetable-based dishes properly. It was seen as a lazy way out. But it’s not just for vegetarians or vegans: it’s a great dish in itself, for anyone – especially with parmesan.

Risotto is a stand-alone course and you don’t need to serve anything with it. I make it at home both when I’m entertaining and as a comforting everyday meal. I tend to use a dry white wine, nothing too powerful – don’t cook with wine you wouldn’t drink. A good pinot grigio works well. In Venice, they even use sparkling wines.

In terms of consistency, risotto shouldn’t be too solid. It shouldn’t be like a soup, but it should pour easily. Adding one ladleful of stock at a time and allowing it to absorb is the best way. It should take between 16 and 20 minutes to cook; I tend to stir continuously, but not constantly. As with pasta making, I quite enjoy taking that little bit of time over it.

I’ve used different kinds of grains here because it’s good to experiment with different bases. Some people don’t necessarily like the classic risotto texture: they might prefer it to be a bit crunchier. Britain is a country of farmers and millers, so it makes sense to try out British-grown grains. Spelt is similar to pearl barley, and both are hearty, nourishing grains which absorb flavour exactly like a risotto rice.