6 surprising ingredients that turn your risotto into a world-class dish
Making risotto is not exactly a piece of cake. You really need to know how to make it step by step if you want to end up with a perfect pan of risotto. Of course, you use the best risotto rice. Once you’ve mastered it, experimenting is fun. For example, with the ingredients below, which will take your risotto to a level beyond perfect.
Risotto alla Milanese and risotto al Barolo sound just as beautiful as they taste. We can’t get enough of them. We’re also big fans of pumpkin risotto and lemon risotto. It may sound a little less appealing, but the flavors certainly don’t suffer for it. You can also easily tweak risotto by adding one simple ingredient. Here are a few surprisingly delicious options.
1. Sun-dried tomato tapenade
Tomato tapenade is incredibly rich in flavor. Add it to your risotto and you’ll create plenty of depth in the dish. Will you use a jarred version or make it yourself? We choose—of course—the latter. To make it, blend 100 grams of sun-dried tomatoes, two cloves of garlic, olive oil, 50 grams of Kalamata olives, 1 tablespoon of capers and one red bell pepper into a tapenade. Add as much as you need to your risotto. You can use the rest as a dip or in a pasta sauce.
2. White miso
White miso (shiro miso) is a Japanese fermented soybean paste that is milder and sweeter than darker misos such as red or brown miso. It is made from fermented soybeans and rice and has a short fermentation time, giving it a subtle, slightly sweet flavor. A small teaspoon of white miso (you can buy it at Asian supermarkets, such as Amazing Oriental, larger Albert Heijn stores and Ekoplaza) already gives your risotto a delicious umami flavor. It even makes your risotto a little more complex in taste—which is very delicious. At the same time, it adds creaminess. Give it a try!
3. Bacon
Risotto is a dish with a fairly soft texture. For extra bite, you can add some crispiness in the form of bacon. It provides not only a delicious crunch, but also an extra salty touch. Fry your bacon until crisp in the pan first, and only add it at the very end to your warm bowl of risotto. That way, you’ll preserve that coveted crunch for as long as possible.
4. Homemade stock
Better than stock from a cube: stock you make yourself. Stock cubes are not healthy at all, because they contain far too much salt. That can really overpower a delicate dish like risotto. So go ahead and make your own. Homemade chicken stock in particular is a rich base for making risotto. Prefer vegetarian? Then homemade vegetable stock is your most delicious option.
6. Butter
Not exactly surprising, but essential nonetheless, in our opinion. Want to make your risotto a little sweeter and even creamier? Add a knob of good butter. Or a little more, of course. The sweetness brings more balance to the savory, salty risotto. According to my colleague Sharon, “the more butter, the better,” so be generous. And if you want to add something sweet as well as a pink color, add beetroot.
6. Really good Parmesan cheese
Parmesan cheese is, of course, essential with risotto. The trick is to use a truly good variety—one you get from the cheesemonger. The better the quality, the better your risotto will taste. And hey… Don’t be stingy with the cheese. Sprinkle away!
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