Ingredients
- 5 to 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1.5 cups Arborio rice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (like Pinot Grigio)
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 cup frozen peas
- 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Keep the Broth Warm
Pour the chicken broth into a medium saucepan and place it on a burner over low heat. You want it to be steaming and hot, but not boiling, throughout the entire cooking process. Adding cold broth to the rice will shock it and hinder the starch-release process.
Toast the Rice
In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for ~4-5 minutes, until softened and translucent.
Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Add the Arborio rice and the dried thyme, and stir constantly for about 2 minutes. This step, called the tostatura, toasts the outside of each grain of rice, which helps it absorb the broth evenly. The grains will look slightly translucent around the edges.
The Stirring Process
Pour in the white wine. It will bubble and steam aggressively. Stir continuously until the wine has been almost completely absorbed by the rice.
Add about 1 cup of the warm broth to the rice, just enough to cover it. Stir frequently until the broth is mostly absorbed. The mixture should always be simmering gently.
Continue adding the broth, about a half-cup at a time, stirring often. Wait until each addition is nearly absorbed before adding the next. You can’t rush this part. After about 20 minutes, start tasting the rice. You’re looking for a texture that is al dente—soft on the outside with a very slight bite in the center. You may not need all of the broth.
Finish the Risotto
When the rice is almost perfectly cooked, stir in the frozen peas. They will cook through in about 2 minutes from the heat of the risotto.
Take the pot completely off the heat. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and the grated Parmesan cheese. Stir vigorously for about a minute. This is called the mantecatura, and it’s the final step that makes the risotto exceptionally creamy.
Stir in the fresh parsley, season with salt and pepper to your taste, and serve immediately. Risotto waits for no one; its creamy texture will tighten up and become stiff as it cools.
Pea Risotto
Ingredients
- 5 to 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 small yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1.5 cups Arborio rice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine like Pinot Grigio
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 cup frozen peas
- 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Heat the chicken broth in a saucepan over low heat until steaming but not boiling.
- In a large Dutch oven, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter with the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes until translucent.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the Arborio rice and thyme, stirring constantly for 2 minutes until rice edges become translucent.
- Pour in the white wine and stir continuously until almost completely absorbed.
- Add 1 cup of the warm broth to cover the rice, stirring frequently until mostly absorbed.
- Continue adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring often and waiting for absorption between additions, about 20 minutes total.
- When rice is almost al dente, stir in the frozen peas and cook for 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add the remaining butter and Parmesan cheese, stirring vigorously for 1 minute.
- Stir in the parsley, salt, and pepper.
- Serve immediately while creamy.
