Basic Parmesan Risotto

Ingredients:

• 6 to 8 cups chicken or veal stock
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup shallots, finely chopped
• 1 cup arborio or carnaroli rice
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 4 to 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated, plus extra for grating or shaving
• 1/4 cup italian parsley, chopped
• salt and fresh ground pepper

Instructions:

Heat the stock in a saucepan over medium heat and keep at a low simmer. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots to the oil and cook, stirring until translucent. Add the rice and cook, stirring until the rice begins to make a clicking sound like glass beads, approx 3 to 4 minutes. Add the wine to the rice mixture and cook, stirring until the wine is absorbed by the rice. Using a ladle, add 3/4 cup of hot stock to the rice. Using a wooden spoon, stir the rice constantly at a moderate speed.

Stirring the rice too vigorously will make your risotto slightly gluey; stirring too little will make it too watery.

The rice should be only thinly veiled in liquid during the stirring process. When the rice is just thick enough to leave a clear wake behind the spoon, add another 3/4 cup of stock. Continue adding stock 3/4 cup at a time and stirring constantly until the rice is mostly translucent but still opaque in the center. Rice should be al dente, but not crunchy. As the rice nears doneness, watch carefully and add smaller amounts of liquid to make sure it does not overcook. The final mixture should be thick enough to grains of rice are suspended in liquid the consistency of heavy cream. It will thicken slightly when removed from teh heat. Remove and stir in the butter, parmesan cheese and parsley, then season with salt and pepper. Divide among four shallow bowls, mounding in the center and grate parmesan over the top. Serve immediately.