Try this Risotto Recipe to Keep You Warm This Fall

With the cooler weather, our seasonal dishes begin to shift and we make way for warmer bowls of steaming comfort foods. Whether you’re serving up soup or pasta, it’s important that you have the right sides and starters to complement the main event. Bright and airy salads are being replaced by rich risotto, homemade bread, and loaded baked potatoes. Never fear, we’ve got you covered with the perfect recipe for your dinners this fall that will be just as easy and customizable as your summer smoothies.

Start warming a delicious base

The beginning of any successful risotto is a quality broth. Chicken stock is a popular choice, but you can swap it for any of your favorite flavorful bases. Bringing it to a simmer in a large saucepan is a simple first step.

Bring on the rice

Much like the broth you choose, it matters that you select the right rice variety to make your risotto. It’s important that it is starchy so that the dish will turn out creamy, so long-grain options aren’t the best choice. A great candidate is arborio rice, which is generally available at most grocery stores. You can also use Carnaroli, which is most chef’s top choice. Orzo is another option, though technically not a rice, the pasta’s shape makes for a great starchy substitute. 

Pour your rice into a Dutch oven with olive oil, garlic, onion, and salt, and roast it for 1 minute. Then, slowly add in your simmering stock ½ cup at a time, ensuring that each portion is fully absorbed before you continue. You want to only include enough broth that it will be fully absorbed by the rice, basically substituting water in a typical white rice recipe for broth. It’s essential that you constantly stir throughout this process.

Make it your own

Once you have your rice cooked through and the desired consistency, remove the mixture from heat and stir in one final ⅓ cup of broth. Now is where the flavor magic happens. Try adding butter, pepper, and parmesan cheese, topping it with parsley. You can also add in fresh garden veggies, such as sauteed mushrooms, chopped asparagus, chopped carrots, or broccoli florets. You can even top it with beef, chicken, or whatever meat you prefer. No matter how you choose to customize it, the finished product will leave your mouth watering thanks to the warm, creamy texture.

Dinner’s Ready

Creating this labor of love is sure to turn heads and fill bellies at your dinner table. Whether this is the introduction to the rest of the meal or a star side dish that you’ll want to keep piling on the plate, it’s sure to please each eater. As fall rolls around, don’t be afraid to experiment with new ingredients and dishes that you might not have been making earlier in the year. Or, if you’d like to try something new and made for you, book a reservation at the Albert to try scratch-made imaginative dishes. Our ingredients are the best around, and our chef is always experimenting with new flavors to please the senses. To book a reservation this fall, click here!