The brilliant trick for a super risotto you’ll wish you’d known sooner
Risotto is one of those dishes you need to get the hang of if you want to serve it perfectly. The best rice, whether or not to stir and the right pan all affect the final result. Just like the stock. But you can also make a delicious risotto without stock thanks to this top tip.
A good risotto naturally owes its flavor, among other things, to the stock. And a jar from the poultry shop or butcher is better than a stock cube. But what if you have neither product at home, while the shallot and rice are already sautéing in the pan? The solution: salted water.
Flavor enhancer
This golden tip comes from top American chef Naomi Pomeroy. She wrote a book about how flavor and technique form the foundation of good cooking. Naomi explains that salted water can work just as well as stock. In fact, even better! Stock can sometimes have a rather strong flavor and overpower other ingredients. Salted water, on the other hand, brings out the delicate flavor of the rice and vegetables.
The perfect ratio
So salted water can be a great substitute for stock. But make sure the water isn’t too salty. The perfect ratio is one tablespoon of salt per 1 liter of water. Bring the salted water to a boil and, once it’s boiling, turn the heat down low. Now you can add the water to the rice little by little. Stir in a knob of butter and freshly grated Parmesan cheese at the end and you’ve got a killer risotto.
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