Risotto Law

I used to be terrified of attempting to cook a risotto. I imagined that it was best left to Italian mothers, since it required years of practice, and anyway surely you had to have been brought up in the northern provinces of Italy. Perhaps I should just buy the finished dish from those who know, I thought. In reality, like many Italian dishes, it has a well-defined method that can be mastered if approached carefully and intelligently. Be aware, though, of the many sins that are committed in risotto’s name: a rice dish that has not been made with specific Italian varieties of rice (which allow the soft starch to be released and dissolved into the liquid, thus creamily binding the grains with the other ingredients) will never be a risotto.