Risotto Bianco (Plain White Risotto) Recipe

This risotto recipe is for a simple and delicious risotto bianco, translating to “white rice” – meaning it’s not tomato-based.

It’s a great starting point for beginners, offering a foundation for experimenting with different risotto variations.

Ingredients:

• 5 cups chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 4 or 5 sticks of celery
• 2 cups risotto rice
• 2 glasses of dry white wine
• Black pepper
• 6 tablespoons butter (90 g)
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt

Instructions:

1. Heat up the stock in a pan. If making stock from scratch, do this first; check our how-to page for fish stock instructions.
2. Prepare all vegetables by slicing and dicing. In a saucepan, add a knob of butter and oil on low heat.

Cooking:

3. Add finely diced celery, onion, and garlic to the saucepan. Cook for about ten minutes or until very soft.
4. Add the rice, turn up the heat, and stir well.
5. Pour in the white wine, stirring continuously.
6. When the rice absorbs the wine and reduces slightly, proceed to the next step.
7. Start ladling in the stock, turning the heat down to simmer. Begin with one ladle, stirring as you pour. Add a pinch or two of salt.
8. Keep stirring and add the stock ladle by ladle only when it starts to thicken, about ten to fifteen minutes. If the rice needs more time, continue and use hot water if you run out of stock. The rice should have a slight bite.
9. When the risotto rice is ready, add Parmesan cheese and the remaining butter. Stir well, remove from heat, and let it sit covered with a lid for a few minutes.

Your risotto is now ready to be enjoyed. Buon appetito!