Basic Risotto

Ingredients
1 cup Arborio rice [don't wash it - you want the starch]
1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 or 2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1.5 cups reasonable white wine
pecorino cheese grated
herbs - flat-leaf parsley, thyme

Method
Have the stock slowly simmering on the back burner - simmering stock means the rice doesn't stop cooking.
In a medium sized saucepan on medium heat, with 1 tbsp olive oil, fry the onions and garlic until transparent
Add the rice and stir it with a wooden spoon, through the oil, onions and garlic so that it is coated with the oil, about a minute.
Pour in the wine, enough to cover.
Continue stirring so that the rice doesn't stick and until the wine has been evaporated/absorbed. When the rice is just about dry, ladle in heated stock to cover.
Keep stirring.
Adjust the heat so that it is neither too fast nor too slow. Should be bubbling, but not violently.
Repeat the ladling of stock, stirring all the while.
Keep repeating, keep stirring
When the risotto is about 3/4 cooked add whatever other flavours or ingredients you are using [mushrooms, bacon, peas etc]
The rice is cooked when the grains are al dente - neither hard nor soft and cooked right through.

At the very end and just when you take the risotto off the heat, add the pecorino and fresh herbs. Stir through. Have some more grated cheese available to top the dish when serving.

Notes
If you run out of stock - might indicate that the heat was too high - you can use water, but not too much.
The process should take about 20 minutes - practice will teach you how long.

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Variations
The basic risotto can accommodate so many different flavourings and ingredients. Here's a few suggestions.

• Bacon, mushroom and peas. And some freshly grated nutmeg.
• Asparagus. Only use fresh asparagus [canned asparagus turns to mush], steamed and cut into 3cm pieces before adding to the risotto.
• Dried porcini mushrooms - soak them in boiling water for 10-15 minutes before using. Use the water in the risotto.
• Prawns - fry prawns before adding them to the risotto, maybe with extra garlic and/or chili!