The Easiest Way To Make Risotto Is Right In Front Of You

A popular dish on restaurant menus across the country, risotto is an Italian favorite that can be enjoyed as a side or full entrée. It's traditionally made on the stove with a heavy, thick-bottom pan like a Dutch oven, but the amount of patience, attention, and cooking technique required has made it renowned for being difficult to master at home. Fortunately, risotto is one of the unexpected dishes you can make in a slow cooker.

Making risotto on the stovetop involves standing over your pan to slowly and repeatedly stir the rice and ladle in the broth. However, you don't want to over-stir or overcook the rice because it will lose its coveted texture. Cooking at the wrong temperature is another concern and one of the common mistakes that ruin risotto. Achieving the ideal creaminess and maintaining the right temperature is easier when you use a slow cooker, but it still requires some effort.

For starters, you'll still need to sauté the vegetables and aromatics, toast the rice, and simmer in the wine until the liquids are mostly absorbed. Then, you can transfer the mixture to the slow cooker with your broth, and let it cook on high, stirring halfway through the cook time – no need to hover. Afterward, stir in the dairy, top with fresh herbs and seasonings, and serve immediately.

To make risotto like a pro, even in a slow cooker, you want to consider which ingredients can be cooked for a longer duration and which should be added later. Cremini mushrooms will hold up in a slow cooker for delicious mushroom risotto, for instance. Since butternut squash has a sturdy texture compared to some other vegetables, it will do well in slow cooker risotto while adding a beautiful orange hue to your plate. When you're working with less hearty vegetables, though, like in a kale and pancetta risotto recipe, incorporate them just before serving so that they don't completely break down in the slow cooker.

In regards to adding proteins to your dish, consider the texture that you want to achieve. A simple cheesy risotto with chicken doesn't require special steps because you can put the chicken into the slow cooker with the rice. For a crispier texture, cook your protein separately and place it on top of the risotto when plating, like with seared scallops with basil risotto recipe, or most other seafoods.