Saffron Risotto

I absolutely love risotto; both cooking it and eating it.  Sure it takes some time and patience, but honestly, you'll forget all about plain rice after you've tried a creamy, flavorful scoop of risotto.  This is a great side dish for fish or even chicken, since the flavors aren't especially bold.


Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1 pinch of saffron threads
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 3 1/4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• salt and pepper

First, pour the broth into a small saucepan and bring it up to a simmer--it is important with risotto that the liquid is hot (but not boiling) when you slowly add it to the rice.  Next, heat the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion plus a dash of salt and pepper; cook the onion slowly, stirring to keep it from burning.  When it is soft and translucent, add the rice (dry) and stir it around in the onion.  The idea is to slightly toast the rice before adding any liquids.  Now add the pinch of saffron threads.  After a minute or so, add the white wine and scrape any bits off of the bottom of the pan. At this point, you begin adding about 1/2 cup of broth at a time (I like to use a ladle) to the saucepan, stirring to distribute it across the rice.  When the rice has fully absorbed the broth, add another 1/2 cup (and repeat).  This should take at least 25 minutes for all the broth to be added.  If you go too fast, the risotto will be undercooked, so patience is key.  The rice needs time to release its starch to give it its creamy consistency.  If you want to take this recipe over the top, stir in 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese at the very end before serving.  Enjoy!