Mantecare, which means to whip or beat to a creamy consistency, is an important finishing touch. When the risotto is nearly done, one puts in fresh butter and, if required by the recipe, grated Parmesan and beats them into the rice for one, two, or three minutes. Some styles of risotto are more mantecati than others. In Venice this is done off the heat to prevent all the liquid from drying out and so to keep the risotto all’onda.
