# Why is risotto so much *creamier* in restaurants compared to my own?



## AlexR (Sep 1, 2007)

Hi,
Is it simply that they add cream at the end? 

I mean, I do use the right kind of rice, arborio or carnaroli.

I make a good enough risotto, and it absorbs plenty of liquid (wine and broth) but why, oh why, is risotto so much more *unctuous* when I eat out in a restaurant?

Yours sincerley,
Alex Rychlewski


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## buckytom (Sep 1, 2007)

ooh, good word, unctuous.  it's a stretch on the definition, as it's usually used as a negative adjective.

i'm an expert by no means, having made risotto only a few times recently, but i conjecture that it was one of the following possible variables: the temp at which it's cooked; the size and shape of the cooking vessel; the method in which the liquids are added; the quality of the rice; and the method by which the rice is stirred.

my early attempts at risotto have been surprisingly successful. i dare say as good as restaurants. but it was a labor intensive pain the the, uhh, forearm. the best results were achieved by using imported italian arborio, chicken stock, butter, oo, salt, and shallots, and then nearly constantly stirring and folding the rice until it's completion in a 5 quart, stainless steel wide saute. 
after the initial pour, liquid was added as the mixture began to thicken to an obvious point near sticking.

i tasted it so many times along the way that it was interesting to see how it was enjoyable in different ways, at different stages of doneness. 

good question, alexr. i'll be very interested in the experienced answers to this one.


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## GB (Sep 1, 2007)

Without knowing exactly how you make yours there is no way for us to know. Detail the steps you take and that will help a lot.

Are you waiting for the liquid of absorb before you add the next batch? Is the liquid that you add hot? Are you stirring enough. Are you adding butter at the end? How much?


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## GB (Sep 1, 2007)

buckytom said:


> ooh, good word, unctuous.  it's a stretch on the definition, as it's usually used as a negative adjective.


Hmm interesting. The only time I have heard that word used was in reference to food and it was always a positive description, such as the mouth feel from a good chicken stock. I looked the word up on Websters though and I learned something new. As Bucky points out it can be a negative as well.


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## suzyQ3 (Sep 1, 2007)

GB said:


> Hmm interesting. The only time I have heard that word used was in reference to food and it was always a positive description, such as the mouth feel from a good chicken stock. I looked the word up on Websters though and I learned something new. As Bucky points out it can be a negative as well.



Negative indeed -- think of the stereotypical used-car salesman. Or better yet, think of Mr. Potter, oozing insincere earnestness,  as he tries and almost succeeds in convincing George Bailey that the financially smart thing to do would be to sell him the bank.  They shake hands, and Bailey's disgust at the touch of the old man, the oily residue that symbolized his nefarious plans, reminded Bailey that it's not money that makes life wonderful.


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## GB (Sep 1, 2007)

In the food world though, it is sometimes a positive. An unctuous stock is what you are after or in this case an unctuous risotto.


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## GB (Sep 1, 2007)

Here is an example of what I mean. This is from the "Atlanta Journal and Constitution"


> A warmed, crusty French roll arrives split, lightly smeared with unctuous chopped liver.



A definition from this online dictionary also list one possible definition as 





> Containing or composed of oil or fat.


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## buckytom (Sep 1, 2007)

in the food world, it primarily means excessively oily or fatty. depending on your point of view, it's mostly intended as unpleasant.

i have no problem with _tasty_ excess.


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## GB (Sep 1, 2007)

When it comes to food or wine I always see it used in a positive manner. Here is another example and another (scroll down to Pedro Ximenez) and another (2nd paragraph).


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## buckytom (Sep 1, 2007)

*again*, it's correct, but it's a stretch. ximenez?

what's the word for a word that has nearly opposite meanings, and can't seem to let things go? 

have we not strayed from creamy risotto?


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## *amy* (Sep 1, 2007)

AlexR said:


> Hi,
> Is it simply that they add cream at the end?
> 
> I mean, I do use the right kind of rice, arborio or carnaroli.
> ...


 
Hi AlexR.

Perhaps you could post your recipe and method. There's some good info here:

http://italianfood.about.com/od/tipstricks1/a/aa091697.htm

If you want a richer risotto, stir in heavy cream in addition to the butter -- and I've seen some recipes that use cream cheese.  Again, would help to see your recipe & method.


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## AllenOK (Sep 1, 2007)

Ok, back to topic, and here's my two cents:

I agree with GB that we need to see the entire recipe, or at least the steps that you used to make it.

After the rice was cooked, did you take it off the heat, and fold in parmesan cheese and whole butter?  That's what I do at work.


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## AlexR (Sep 1, 2007)

My business is words and, of course, words have different meanings depending on the context.

While an unctuous used-car salesman is a definitely slimy so-and-so, I agree with GB that the adjective is far and away a positive one when referring to food. No stretch at all.

As to my cooking method, here goes:

I cook the rice at medium-low heat in butter in a very large frying pan for perhaps 3-5 minutes. Then I add about 25 cl. of white wine. Thereafter, I ladle in chicken stock throughout the next, oh, 45 minutes or so.

I add other ingredients along the way (peas, diced meat, vegetables I have previously fried, etc.).

The rice is moist, there's enough left over liquid in the risotto to make a rich sauce, but it ain't *creamy*, as I said in my original post.

Best regards,
Alex R.


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## AlexR (Sep 1, 2007)

Oh, and I add the Parmesan cheese to the risotte just 5 minutes before serving it.

Alex R.


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## GB (Sep 1, 2007)

What temp is the liquid when you add it? How often do you stir it?


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## DramaQueen (Sep 1, 2007)

*Perfect risotto can be made by using arborio or carnaroli rice, sauteed for a few minutes in butter, wine added and when the wine evaporates start adding 1/2 cup of hot chicken broth. Keep the heat at low so you only have a slow simmer.   Stir constantly to develop the starch (which is why risotto is creamy) and when the chicken broth is evaportated add another 1/2 cup repeating the steps for about 25 minutes til the rice is cooked.  Be careful not to overcook risotto or it becomes too starchy and mushy.    During the last 10 minutes add whatever your going to add to it like mushrooms, peas, prosciutto etc.  I always add freshly grated parmesan cheese at the last couple of minutes to keep the cheese from clumping.  Perfect, creamy delicious risotto every time.   I learned this from my mom who came from Italy and knows risotto.*


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## buckytom (Sep 1, 2007)

ok, yous made me go look (in a real, hardbound dictionary), it is derived from a latin root, meaning of or like the oil used in an annointment.

so, it refers to the oiliness/texture of an object, be it good or bad. SOME foods would benefit from being unctuous, others, not. 

i maintain that describing creaminess in terms of rice as pleasently oily is a stretch.

i know you are, but what am i?


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## GB (Sep 1, 2007)

Bucky in terms of food it is not saying it is pleasantly oily in those words. It is saying it has a rich full mouth feel. It is saying the same thing, but in different words.


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## Fisher's Mom (Sep 1, 2007)

buckytom said:


> ok, yous made me go look (in a real, hardbound dictionary), it is derived from a latin root, meaning of or like the oil used in an annointment.
> 
> so, it refers to the oiliness/texture of an object, be it good or bad. SOME foods would benefit from being unctuous, others, not.
> 
> ...


 OMG bt, have you ever watched the Nanny show (Nanny 911, I think)? I'm scared they're gonna create a naughty chair just for you. But I must admit, I have only ever heard the word unctuous used with very negative connotations. (I used to sell cars.)


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## buckytom (Sep 1, 2007)

lol, i know. i can't help it, having been raised in a family of writers and english teachers.

it means different things to different people. i've always heard it used as a negative adjective, but learned something today. 

i'd better stop before i get "annointed" with some risotto.


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## kitchenelf (Sep 1, 2007)

Risotto normally does not have cream in it.  It could be that your cooking surface is too large allowing for too much evaporation.  If you will take a look around the web at risotto pans the majority of them do not have a huge cooking surface.  It could be that you need to add more liquid towards the end and stir, developing the creamy texture.  Some of that creamy texture will come out with the Parmesan too.  But risotto does not have cream in it.  I know there are recipes out there but...........

Once the risotto is done take it off the heat and add the butter, Parmesan cheese, and stir, stir, stir.


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## GB (Sep 1, 2007)

My guess is that you are not stirring enough. You don't need to stand there stirring nonstop, but you do have to come close to that. Stirring helps coax the starch out of the grains.


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## buckytom (Sep 1, 2007)

hmm, that explains some things, i think. thanks elfie and gb.

i've used a fairly wide, somewhat shallow saute to make my (successful) risottos. i had to add a lot more liquid than the recipes i've seen called for, and had to stir, and stir, and stir, and stir. all the way through. again, much , much longer than recipes have called for.

but maybe because of the technique, it developed the desired creaminess? i dunno. i'm usually not that good.


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## ella/TO (Sep 1, 2007)

remember, the liquid has to be more than warm....and it's very important to add butter and parmesan at the end, with a good stirring in of these two items.


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## ironchef (Sep 1, 2007)

In your method that you posted, nowhere did you write how often, if at all, were you stirring the risotto. KElf and GB touched on that as well. Risotto gets it's creaminess from the starch that is developed by stirring the heck out of the rice while it's absorbing the liquid. While you don't need to constantly stir it, you do need to stir it vigorously fairly often or else you will not release the starch from the rice. I can't say how often and for how long because it's a technique and experience thing. While other things like having your stock heated helps, it's not a neccesity. Risotto is one of those things that you cook by feel. Either you get it or you don't. Some professional cooks have a hard time making a proper risotto.


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## Mel! (Sep 1, 2007)

I usually make a cream sauce, to pour on top of the finshed risotto.
It makes it delicious and creamy too.

*How to make the cream sauce.*
Add oil and a sprinkling of salt to a pan.
Fry some chopped garlic and/or chopped onions and fry, until these are golden.
Add a tablespoon of vinegar and a tablespoon of sugar and immediately remove from heat. Then imediately stir in a quarter litre of fresh cream.

*About the restaurant creaminess*
I think they make it so creamy, by adding a particular type of cheese to it. 
One time I added the ground parmesan, than one can buy in supermarkets, to my risotto, when it was almost cooked. I just stirred it in. It made the risotto very creamy.


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## ironchef (Sep 1, 2007)

Mel! said:


> *About the restaurant creaminess*
> I think they make it so creamy, by adding a particular type of cheese to it.
> One time I added the ground parmesan, than one can buy in supermarkets, to my risotto, when it was almost cooked. I just stirred it in. It made the risotto very creamy.


 
While some cheeses can help a risotto get creamier (i.e. marscapone, or goat cheese), cheese really has little to do with it. It's all about proper technique and good risottos, beit in a restaurant or from a homecook, will utilize that. For example, you can make a lemon risotto with no cheese in it at all. It will be creamy from strictly the starches that are developed by properly cooking the rice. While adding cream can help a risotto thicken up, one should learn how to make a proper risotto first, and then only use the cream as a last resort to fix a risotto. Risotto that is made properly doesn't need the usage of cream.


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## Andy M. (Sep 1, 2007)

Alex, you didn't mention tht you stir in a chunk of butter to finish the risotto.  Do you do that?


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## college_cook (Sep 1, 2007)

Risotto is a method of cooking rice as well as a definable rice dish.  What I mean is, you can make risotto the traditional way, using arborio rice and stock, or you can use, say jasmine or basmati rice, and cook it a la minute over low heat with some cream, butter, and cheese.  The reason that some of the restaurant risottos you have enjoyed might be creamier than yours is because they use the second method, which allows much greater contol over the texture.

We do risotto both ways at my workplace, the 2nd method comprises an entire dish of its own, served with shrimp, and a nice hard jack cheese that we get.  We also make risotto the traditional way, with herbs and fennel, slowly cooked with stock, but then we chill it, and patty it almost as you would a hamburger.  We then sear it a la minute for service, and let it warm in our oven.  The result is a texturally complex risotto, having developed a nice carmelization on top, and hot and creamy and rich on the inside.  It's the starch that is served with our pork chop, and a lot of people really like it.

Using cream and butter to make risotto is certainly easier, and if you need an idea for a quick meal its a sure winner.  However, its not the same a traditional risotto that's done right.


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