Risotto is known for two things, for the most part. One, being an absolutely delicious Italian dish that pretty much anybody can appreciate. And two, being difficult to make at home. But if you want to enjoy fact number one without having to deal with fact number two, here are the mistakes you should avoid.
Using the Wrong Rice
The biggest mistake you can make when cooking risotto happens before you even get into the kitchen: buying the wrong rice. You can’t just use your regular ol’ white or brown or jasmine or Basmati. The classic rice for risotto is arborio, but you can also use carnaroli rice, which is key to the dish’s creaminess. The better quality you can spring for, the better your risotto will turn out.
Rinsing the Rice
Generally speaking, it’s usually a good idea to rinse the extra starch off your rice before popping it into your rice cooker. But risotto needs the starch to get the right consistency, so don’t rinse it before you use it.
Overstirring
While it’s true that you have to consistently stir your risotto to make sure that it doesn’t stick or burn, overstirring is also a problem because it can ruin the risotto’s texture.
