RISOTTO CHALLENGE: Entry Two

So I feel a bit mixed as to my risotto-making talents. On one hand, I've probably made it dozens of times. On the other hand, my last two risottos were bland and instantly forgettable and I'd almost decided that the only risotto I'd make again would be a sneaky copycat using spelt. But for the sake of the challenge, I got my Arborio on.

vegetarian risotto with parsley & pepitas
ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup of arborio rice
• 2 large yellow onions
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 liters of vegetable stock
• 1 1/2 cup of dry white wine
  
• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 1 large handful of fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup of raw pepitas
• 1 cup of parmesan cheese

My process starts off similar: the garlic and onions got into oil. Simmer until the onions begin to brown. Then turn the heat to high. Pour in your arborio rice, stir them in the pan (I used a high-sided frying pan, you might want to use some other sort of non-stick pot). They should be in there for about a minute.

Crack open your wine bottle, pour in as much as you did rice. The rice will absorb the wine pretty quickly, so have your veggie stock ready. You want to be constantly stirring the rice, because the starchy grains do some sort of shedding of their outsides, which lends itself to the creaminess you're looking for. That sentence doesn't look very appetising, but it will taste great, I promise. Don't slack on the stirring for another reason too ... if the risotto soaks up the liquids too quick it burns and all your hard work is over. So when the rice is 90% absorbed, pour in a cup of stock. You want to be waiting until that 90% absorbtion comes and then pouring in another cup of stock.

While this is happening, I made a salad, check my signature salad instructions (part three of that recipe). This one had a grated carrot in it as well, with poppy seeds instead of pepitas since I was using them in the risotto. I also cut and washed some baby bak choy and put it over some boiling water to steam.

You want to be careful while doing these other things that your risotto isn't burning. By the time your stock is gone, turn down the heat. The grains of arborio should be much larger than they were when you started. Stir in the butter, finely grated parmesan, parsely and pepitas.

Risotto is best eaten just a few minutes after being cooked, only long enough to cool down so it won't burn your tongue. The baby bak choy was layed on top to balance the starchiness, sided with the salad.