You don't need to stir risotto (much)

[Florkl]

Tradition teaches what works consistently, not what works easiest or most efficiently.

Edit: and it also doesn’t take into account improvements in technology. I wonder if the constant stir tradition partially comes from the days of heat sources that had more hot spots that could result in burning.

[jb]

I subscribe to the conspiracy theory that the constant stirring idea came about a result of either 1. The cook wanting an excuse to be in the kitchen away from everyone else for an extended period or 2. Something you tell a small child to do to keep them busy and quiet for a while

[yankeelongshoreman]

Pro chef here, you can in fact cook perfect risotto well in advance and still get that perfect al-dente texture. The trick is to not cook it fully and not add cheese. You want it ~85% done, it will carry to ~90% in the time it takes you to place on a sheet pan and chill in the fridge. Place it in an airtight container and you can pick it up with a little stock in a pan, add your cheese, and have perfect fresh risotto in minutes whenever you want it. Perfect for weekend meal prep.

[nienke]

if the additional broth makes it too salty, you could also choose to go with a fixed amount of broth (e.g. 350ml based on your first experiment) and then add any additionally required liquid in the form of plain water; after all, in the 2nd experiment requiring additional moisture was probably due to more of the water in the broth evaporating off, so you'd simply be replacing that.

[chefmdecamp]

In my experience, stirring constantly only matters when you're making BIG batches, like 12 quarts-ish. There you do get a mildly thicker risotto as the very large amount of rice grinds against itself, which doesn't really happen as much with a cup or two of rice. However, the bigger reason is that you *have* to keep stirring that much rice in a huge rondeau pan.

Maybe the constant stirring thing was taken from restaurants or kitchens of big noble houses and accepted as "the way" for even small home cooks, who knows.

[TheDinkcool]

This is how my dad (who loves to find shortcuts when cooking) originally taught me to cook risotto. So when I first heard people talk about how hard it was to make risotto it was really confused. To me it was always the dish my dad did when he didn't have time to make something complicated. Because you could literally just take all the ingredients, throw them in a pot and boil them for 20 minutes and it would come out great.

[energuminum]

I stir risotto constantly just because I like it. I don't make it very often, and when I do, I enjoy the little traditional things. It's just fun to me.

But it's good to know that if something happens and I need to get away from the pan, I just add stock and it'll still be good. Thanks Adam!

[angrypotato_fz]

Cool! I enjoy a lot these "experimental" videos where you compare results of few similiar methods and sometimes debunk some myths. Even if not every variable is perfectly controlled, this gives a lot of insight into the actual processes - what matters in modern cooking and what doesn't. Thank you, Adam.

[Omicron]

I was always told Risotto required constant stirring and so I always kind-of considered it a High Effort dish. I wish I knew otherwise earlier. Whenever I craved Risotto I never felt like I had the time or energy to hover over it constantly, so I always settled for a low-effort equivalent in just cooking rice with condensed soup in some water with whatever seasonings I had on hand. It was never as good as the real thing, but the texture was similar and it helped curb the craving, and since I didn't have to hover over it I could go do my laundry or kick back for a bit.

[waltisfrozen]

My approach to risotto has always been less of a stir and more of a scrape, treating the rice and broth more like scrambled eggs with the layer immediately touching the pan getting scraped up and combined with the rest as the heat thickens it. Scrape the bottom and sides, wait a couple of minutes, and repeat until done. Always turns out perfect and leaves plenty of time to work on the rest of the meal.

[SJ-gcmw]

Here's the thing Adam. In restaurants, specifically mine, we pre cook the rice. Normally this is in the entremetier station. It would be impossible to time a starch with another station if we had to cook risotto from scratch. We need o be synched for a 5 to 7 minute timing with the other stations. Risotto, along with other dishes are still perfect when finished at the last minute. Thanks for your great videos. Do people really think we are magicians in professional kitchens? We are just great cooks.

[spocot]

Wish you had also mentioned it, but it at least follows from your experiment with washing the free starch off - You can make perfectly textured risotto without traditional risotto style rice. I frequently make it with jasmine which I can buy in large economical quantities from my local international food store. Yes, the grains are bigger, but the creaminess and richness from the starch are there despite what the conventional wisdom would lead you to believe.

[themastermason]

I would like to add this to anybody who is apprehensive about buying arborio rice just for risotto: Any short or medium grain rice will work in making risotto. I've had good results with Calrose rice. Besides making a basic mushroom risotto, I've also made cheddar risotto which is delicious.
Edit: I've found a 2.5:1 to a 3:1 ratio stock to rice is ideal for me.

[ckannan]

There’s a South Indian dish called Pongal that I think works off similar principles, and there isn’t any talk of constant stirring. The end product is typically thicker than risotto, but that’s just a matter of when you pull it off the stove. Plenty of people make it with a consistency similar to risotto, especially the sweet variant. You can make it in a pressure cooker, so no ability to constantly stir there.
(Pongal is also the name of a festival during which the namesake dish is made, so keep that in mind if the Google results seem confusing)

[agnespn]

Hello there! I have been making risotto for years and I think I found a balance between stirring constantly and leaving it alone. I am starting with the onion on butter. Once the onion goes translucent I add sloppily chopped asparagus (from a jar, as the season is short, and fresh white asparagus is tough) and once it is frying for a bit and loose most moisture I add some wine and wild mushrooms (that I soak thinly slices, dried porcini into hot water 15 min before). I save the mushroom-soaking water, as it is fool of flavor. I am adding rice and frying for a minute. After that, there is a splash of white wine. Once it's evaporated I am adding chicken (or vegetable) stock mixed with mushroom-soaking water. About 200mil. I am mixing and coming back when the liquid has evaporated (an=bot 4-6 min). I add another splash (about 200ml bullion with mushroom-soaking water) and mix it. Then I am coming after 5min adding the rest. Once it is grainy and evaporated I am adding a splash of cream and pecorino and/or Parmigiano. And I taste. When it is soft and I like it I serve. Most likely with fresh chopped parsley.

[welshtoro]

I'm surprised the stirring thing is still a 'thing'. Chefs have been telling everyone for years to really lay of it. I think it probably comes from putting too little stock in (aka - a little bit and keep topping up) so stirring is done to stop sticking. One thing I know that really improves risotto is home made stock. That lifts it to the next level more than anything. Carnaroli is my favourite rice for risotto as well. Risotto is something we can all cook at home. It's a traditional peasant dish after all. Paying £20 for it in a restaurant is insane.

[lanzji]

The only italian risotto recipe I've ever looked at said to stir each time when I put stock in it. Not more than that. And as far as I could tell, the idea behind the putting the stock in more than one time is for better control. I think this comes from open fire cooking, where standardised precise recipe cooking is impossible as heat control is so much more difficult.
Anway: for risotto, pressure cooker is the way to go. I always use the same rice, always the same proportions, always exactly the same cooking time, stir vigorously at the end. Viscosity correction at that moment, put the cheese in at the same time. Works every time.
Edit as I was writing during the video: yes, your final point might be the most important: risotto does not wait for people, people wait for risotto 😁

[timgoodwintv]

For me as well as other people who like to cook, I enjoy the process of cooking something like a risotto cause you’re engaged during the cooking process and it’s fun to cook dishes that require your attention that way. Having said that if I’m ever feeling lazy and want risotto I think I’ll try adding all the stock at once and just letting it go and see how it turns out.

[liliana.]

You can also add crushed rice, or rice flour to risotto if you want that loose starch

[justuscrickets]

Cooking at higher altitudes, the simmer-&-stir stovetop method becomes REALLY odious, taking upwards of 45 minutes in some cases. Turns out, risotto made in a rice cooker or electric pressure cooker turns out great. Sauté, deglaze with wine, add hot broth at 1:2 ratio, close lid & cook on rice setting. Release pressure carefully to avoid clogging the valve with starch, stir in butter & parm, done!