Classic Risotto Bianco (serves 4)

  • 300g arborio or carnaroli rice
  • 1 litre good chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 medium onion, finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 150ml dry white wine
  • 60g cold unsalted butter (divided: 30g to start, 30g at the end)
  • 80g parmesan, freshly grated
  • Salt and white pepper
  1. 1

    Keep the stock warm

    Heat the stock in a separate saucepan and keep it at a gentle simmer throughout cooking. Adding cold stock to the rice cools the pan and breaks the cooking rhythm. This is the step most home cooks skip — it matters.

  2. 2

    Soften the onion

    In a wide, heavy-based pan, melt 30g butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook gently for 8–10 minutes until completely soft and translucent — not browned. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute.

  3. 3

    Toast the rice

    Add the dry rice to the pan and stir to coat in the buttery onion mixture. Toast for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the grains look slightly translucent at the edges and smell slightly nutty. This step helps the rice hold its structure through the long cooking.

  4. 4

    Add wine and let it absorb

    Pour in the white wine and stir constantly until it is completely absorbed. This takes 1–2 minutes and adds acidity that balances the richness of the finished dish.

  5. 5

    Add stock one ladle at a time

    Add one ladle of warm stock to the rice and stir constantly until it is almost completely absorbed. Then add the next ladle. Continue this process for 18–20 minutes. Never add more liquid until the previous addition is almost absorbed. The constant stirring releases starch from the rice — this starch is what creates the creamy sauce.

  6. 6

    Check for doneness

    The rice should be al dente — cooked through but with a very slight bite in the absolute centre of the grain. The risotto should flow and spread slowly when you shake the pan (all'onda — "like a wave"). If it sits in a stiff mound, add a little more stock.

  7. 7

    Mantecatura — the final enrichment

    Remove from heat. Add the remaining 30g cold butter and all the parmesan. Stir vigorously for 1–2 minutes. The cold butter emulsifies into the starchy liquid creating a glossy, creamy sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately — risotto waits for no one.

VariationsMushroom: sauté 300g mixed mushrooms separately and stir in at the end. Prawn: add raw prawns in the final 3 minutes of cooking. Asparagus: add blanched asparagus pieces at the end. Pea and mint: stir in cooked peas and fresh mint with the butter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Either overcooked, too much stock added at once, or not enough butter and parmesan at the end. Risotto rice should be al dente — still with a very slight bite. If it is completely soft with no texture, it has gone too far. The mantecatura (vigorous stirring with cold butter) at the end is what makes it flow and creates the correct creamy consistency.
Not really — arborio, carnaroli or vialone nano rice have a higher starch content which is what creates the creamy sauce. Long-grain rice (basmati, jasmine) releases much less starch and produces a completely different, much drier result. Arborio is the most widely available risotto rice.