March 23, 2011

Slow-Cooker Risotto

Risotto takes a lot of stirring.  So a crockpot recipe from A Year of Slow Cooking seemed perfect.  And I had one heck of a time finding arborio rice.  The world of the internet said nothing could be substituted for arborio rice in risotto because it has so much starch in it.  So after checking (several times) at the commissary, arborio rice was not to be found.  I got it at Wal-Mart, and I must say that it's not cheap.  However, I really wanted to try this.
It's really not bad, but it wasn't my favorite either.  I think that there's some truth to the tried and true method of stirring and stirring risotto while slowly adding the liquid.  Some of the rice in this was still a little crunchy after 2 hours, while some was absolute mush.  And I hadn't had risotto in so long that I couldn't remember the precise texture.  The flavor was good, but it got kinda dry pretty quick.  Scott didn't have a comment one way or the other.  The leftovers are still in the fridge if anyone's interested!

Slow-Cooker Risotto (adapted from A Year of Slow-Cooking)

1 1/4 cups dry arborio rice
1/4 cup of olive oil
4 cups chicken broth (It called for 3 3/4 c. broth and 1/4 c. white wine.  I didn't have the wine on hand.)
2 large cloves of grated garlic (or finely chopped)
1/2 t. onion powder
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese

Mix the rice and oil together in the slow cooker to coat.  Add the spices, garlic, and broth.  Give a couple stirs, then cook on high for 2-3 hours.  Stir in the shredded parmesan after you've turned it off and removed the lid. 

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