Risotto Rice

More and more grocery stores are stocking Arborio rice; if you can’t find it locally, it can be ordered online. Risotto rice has a shorter grain and different starch structure from traditional long-grain rice. To achieve a creamy texture (without adding cream or cheese), risotto must be stirred nonstop, and the hot cooking liquid must be added a ladleful at a time so it helps draw the starch out of the grain. The agitation from the stirring releases the starch from the grain’s center. The cooking liquid should be hotter than the rice to avoid dropping the temperature of the rice when it is added (making it cook more slowly and get mushy). If the grains drown in liquid, there isn’t a smooth transfer of the starch from grain to surrounding liquid. This sounds complicated, but it isn’t in practice; just try it a couple of times.