What's more delicious than rice? Brown Butter Risotto, and it is easier to make than you might think. I created this risotto to be served with my Mushroom Sherry Chicken Recipe, but it would be a perfect pairing for any recipe with a great sauce. This risotto is creamy and has a nice buttery, nutty, flavor.
Risotto is rice that has been cooked in broth. Another important difference is that you add broth to risotto 3-4 times during the cooking process. The result is a creamier and more flavorful rice. The overall cook time for risotto is 25 minutes, about the same as rice, but it is a more hands on process, since you have to stir frequently and add broth multiple times.
Brown butter is literally just butter than has been gently toasted until it is brown. The process gives the butter a rich nutty flavor. I always use grass-fed butter, and I think that it is worth the extra cost. It just has more flavor - so you can use less. This brown butter risotto is perfect as is if you are serving it as a side dish. Or you can turn the risotto into a meal by adding extra ingredients like cooked chicken, cheese, and vegetables. Once you learn the process of making risotto you can get creative.
Ingredients
- 32 ounces Chicken Stock
- 1 heaping cup Arborio Rice
- 2 tablespoons Grass-fed Butter
- about 1 teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Heat the chicken stock in a pot until it is steaming. You don't need it to simmer, just steam.
- In another pot, melt the butter over medium low heat. Stir frequently, and in less than one minute the butter will begin to brown. It is really easy to burn butter - so be careful. As soon as the butter starts to brown, add the risotto.
- Let the risotto simmer in the butter, stirring frequently for 1 minute. You want the risotto to brown ever so slightly.
- Use a ladle to spoon the warm broth over the risotto until the broth just covers the top of the risotto. Let slowly simmer, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the rice absorbs all of the broth.
- Pour broth over the rice, until it is just submerged. Let the broth simmer until it is all absorbed by the rice. Repeat this process adding broth a total of 3-4 times, adding salt as you go. Taste test the rice after adding broth three times, to see if you need to add it a forth time. You want the risotto to be soft, but with a little bit of chewiness in the center.
