Cooking risotto is supposed to be a daunting task. You add liquid a bit at a time, as the previous bit boils off. You stir and stir. And if you make a mistake, it’s all over.
Or you could just use a pressure cooker and take all of the guesswork and skill out of the equation. No stirring, no adding, just press a button. And it’s all in a single pot that you add one ingredient after another to.
Here’s my recipe, so far.
olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped (pre-chopped is fine)
2 small cans portobello mushrooms, drained
2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup drinkable white wine (or sherry or whatever)
4 cups of broth (chicken or beef)
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1 lemon, zested and juiced
dried parsley and basil
salt and pepper, to taste
- Saute the onion and garlic in a bit of olive oil until translucent, about 5 minutes
- Add mushrooms, cooking down for a minute or two; longer if fresh and not canned
- Add rice, lightly toasting until the edges are translucent
- Add wine, stirring until absorbed
- Add broth and seal the pressure cooker, setting it for 7 minutes
- Do a quick release and mix in the remaining ingredients
Makes about 6 servings. You can use it as a side dish, or add cooked shrimp or chicken. (Raw chicken chunks can also be added alongside the onions.)
Hmm, bookmarked. I love risotto as long as a pro makes it. (That means not me.) I also like rice fully cooked, Chinese style, not American al dente rice. Ick. Do your parameters result in fully cooked rice?
Yes. The typical recipe says 5 minutes; I recommend 6 or 7, to taste. I also have a great pressure-cooker congee recipe that I’ll probably post the next time I cook some up. It’s similar, really, except that you use much more water.
I don’t know about the fully cooked bit. A former husband used to make this great saffron risotto that was every so slightly al dente. It looked creamy and rich like yours, but it was loaded with Pecorino Romano so it was heavier. Loads of gooey deliciousness. The mascarpone thing sounds good though. I have several containers I didn’t use in my holiday tiramisu, so maybe I’ll pick up some arborio and try it this weekend. I’ll probably skip the shrooms though.