Is it really that difficult to make? I've had it in restaurants and really like it and thought about trying it myself at home.

I HAVE NEVER MADE OR EATEN IT BEFORE I did make brown rice once the regular way and it came out creamy like risotto without trying. LOL

Haha, Peeps. I've done things like that too.

Ina Garten made some on her show today with butternut squash and it looked so good.......Maybe I'll look up her recipe and give it a try soon.

I make Risotto often and it is a labour of love. The secret is to stir the rice mixture almost continually while you add the stock at intervals and this has to be done for approx 20 to 25 min by which time all the stock is used up. Ingredients such as pre cooked chicken, porcini, mushrooms, Parmesan etc you add in the last 3 min. Type of rice is very important for Risotto and 2 types I use are arborio and carnaroli. The butter and stock should also be of good quality.That creamy texture and flavour is worth all the effort.

Here is a recipe that is almost identical to my favourite.....

Chicken & mushroom risotto


Dish up four serves of this delish risotto and you'll have enough left to freeze for a meal of Oven-Baked Arancini (see related recipe). A basic risotto recipe is a must in every cook's repertoire and this one tastes great - it's bursting with fresh herbs. Pour a glass of wine and sip while you stir until your risotto is creamy and al dente.
Preparation Time

10 minutes
Cooking Time

45 minutes
Ingredients (serves 8)

* 2.5L (10 cups) chicken stock
* 40g butter
* 125ml (1/2 cup) olive oil
* 2 brown onions, finely chopped
* 880g (4 cups) arborio rice
* 1 1/2 tbs fresh thyme leaves
* 125ml (1/2 cup) dry white wine
* 6 (about 500g) chicken thigh fillets, cut into 1cm pieces
* 200g button mushrooms, cut into 1cm pieces
* 4 garlic cloves, crushed
* 120g (1 1/2 cups) finely grated parmesan

Add above ingredients to your shopping list
Method

1.

Bring the stock just to the boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat and hold at a gentle simmer.
2.

Heat butter and 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy-based stockpot or large flameproof casserole dish over medium heat. Add the onion. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft and translucent but not coloured. Add the rice and 1 tablespoon of thyme. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until the grains appear slightly glassy.
3.

Add the wine to the rice mixture and cook, stirring, until the liquid is absorbed. Add a ladleful (about 125ml/1/2 cup) of the simmering stock to the rice and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding the stock mixture, a ladleful at a time, stirring constantly and allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding the next ladleful, for 20-30 minutes or until the rice is tender yet firm to the bite and the risotto is creamy.
4.

Heat remaining oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the chicken and stir-fry for 5 minutes or until chicken just starts to brown. Add the mushroom and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes.
5.

Add the chicken mixture, parmesan and remaining thyme to the risotto and combine. Season with salt and pepper to serve.

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/22421/c ... om+risotto

Boy that sounds geat.

It's very rich Fred and you can experiment with adding asparagus, beetroot, fennel, broadbeans etc. I love it !

Thanks so much Peter!! I'm going to give this a try soon when I can dedicate the time to it. It sounds lovely.

After making stock on Friday, the logical thing to do is Risotto on Saturday This one is Chicken and Asparagus

that looks really good... does it taste as good as people seem to think it is?

Thanks Steve. Yes I reckon it does.The flavor and texture is difficult to explain except to say it does taste creamy, cheesy and rich. Well worth making