How to Make Risotto (each step, with a photo!)

By now, I've established that my interests in cooking and baking have been all over the place, and that as a beginner in the kitchen, I haven't really started out with the most beginnner-ish of things.

Which is why I cook as I always do - on a whim - and decided to make some risotto one day.

Who knew? I'm serious when I say that risotto is possibly one of the easiest dishes to cook.

Now, I'm sure that long-term food connoisseurs would disagree with me. After all, Wolfgang Puck humiliated one of the contestants on The Next Food Network Star by giving her an impromptu lesson on proper risotto, and it's often one of the most scrutinized dishes at top restaurants.

But hey, I'm still new to the stove. If stirring broth into rice for twenty minutes can produce a yummy dish and a food baby, then this baby foodie thinks it makes an awesome beginner's dish.

I present to you...

SHRIMP + MUSHROOM RISOTTO, FOR THE BEGINNER*
adapted from AllRecipes.com

3 blue packages, white mushrooms 
6 cups, chicken broth
1.5 cups white rice 
0.5 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon, minced garlic
3 tablespoons, chopped green onions
4 tablespoons, butter
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

* I say that this is for the beginner because I used white rice here, the first time that I made this dish. Risotto is generally made with Arborio rice, which better absorbs the liquids and swells enormously. I'm not sure that a novice cook would have this on hand, but that shouldn't stop you from making it! I bought Arborio rice from Trader Joe's for my second time, and while it did produce a much richer, creamier risotto, I'm glad that I tried this recipe with the rice available in my house.

 Start by rinsing the mushrooms.

You want your pasta to be al dente*, but not because of dirt!

*al dente means "to the tooth" in Italian. The pasta should be firm, but not hard, so it provides a little resistance when bitten. Essentially, it should be chewy, not rock hard.

Next, slice the mushrooms.

You should have a lot of mushrooms, so this will take a while. 

Then, saute the mushrooms in two tablespoons of olive oil.

 After three to four minutes, the mushrooms should be soft. 

Remove the whole mixture (mushrooms and the liquid that oozed out from them) into a bowl on the side.

Thaw the frozen, cooked shrimp, and add those as well.

On to the rice!

First, cook the green onions in one tablespoon of olive oil.

After one minute, add the rice, and stir for about two minutes.

I lied.

Risotto's easy, but THIS is the real reason that I love cooking it.

 Pour the 1/2 cup of dry white wine into the rice, for some flavor (and some fun).

I get so excited when I cook with wine... I feel like such a badass!

Fine. I'm lame, I know.

Make sure to stir.

 Keep stirring, and when the wine is absorbed, add 1/2 cup of chicken broth.

You weren't as excited about the wine as I was, so now, you get demoted.

 Continue to stir until the broth is absorbed, add 1/2 cup of broth, stir...

 If you're a computer scientist, you can put those two steps on an infinite loop.

While you still have broth and hard rice, stir and add broth.

 If the broth is gone, or if the rice is al dente, then break!

Add some garlic.

Add the shrimp, mushrooms, and mushroom-oozed liquid.

Take the pan off the stove.

Time for the secret.

Butter.

Does four tablespoons of butter seem excessive?

Well, it's necessary.

So add it.

Then add the Parmesan cheese, and stir.
(I prefer my risotto slightly watery, actually, so stir until it achieves your desired consistency.)

 Congratulations!

You've made thick, creamy risotto with shrimp and mushrooms.

Even without Arborio rice :)

Serve by itself, with a meat main dish, or on top of toasted bread with tomato pesto.
Yum!