Holy crap it’s been a while since I’ve posted in here.  I’m really sorry guys.  I’m even sorry that it’s like a never ending apology show below the actual recipes and food posts that go up in here.  There has been quite a bit going on though…

First is that my job has been crazy.  We recently opened our doors to the public after a long hiatus for a building renovation and it’s been an ongoing game of catch up.

Second is that Archaellys and I built me a new gaming rig and we’re still putting some finishing touches on it.  This means that both my new rig and old rig have been in this state of transition, but because we’re both busy with real life stuff (like getting ready for PAX and helping Reaper with resurrecting his rig) things I need have been spread across multiple rigs.

Third is sometimes I get really lazy about watermarking my photos.  But I really like watermarked photos so I won’t do a post without them.

Fourth, I’m lazy and busy.  So thanks for your patience with me.

All that being said, we recently went to Olive Garden and I had some amazing risotto.  Yeah, I know… Olive Garden isn’t exactly known for being super mindblowingly awesome authentic Italian food, but it is food I really enjoy when I decide to have a gluten cheat day or I’m not particularly concerned about if my chicken breast has been dredged in flour or not.  (I still won’t order a pasta dish, but gluten shows up everywhere).  Yeah, I kinda love Olive Garden.  Arc has never had risotto so I said I would make it for movie night and might try to replicate the Grilled Chicken Toscano that it was served with.

This is what I ended up with:

Well I couldn’t quite figure out how to make the red wine glaze yet (Is that a red wine demi glace? Anyone know?) that is on the chicken so I just went with a pretty standard herbed chicken breast that I pan seared and finished off in the oven with a pat of butter.  The broccoli was pretty simple: lightly steamed and lightly salted.  But the risotto… oh man… best risotto I’ve ever made…

Basic Parmesan Risotto

1-1/2 cups arborio rice
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cups white wine
1 med shallot or half a small onion, chopped
3 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 Tsbp chopped parsley
Kosher salt, to taste

Heat stock to a simmer in a medium pot, then lower the heat to it stays hot.  In another saucepan, heat oil and 1 Tbsp over medium heat.  Add shallot (or onion) and saute until slightly translucent.

Add rice to the saucepan and stir to coat.  Saute until there is a slightly nutty aroma, but don’t brown it.  Add wine and stir until fully absorbed.

Ladle stock into the rice a ladle full at a time.  Stir rice until fully absorbed before adding another ladle full of stock.  Continue this until the rice is cooked.  The rice is done when it is firm but no longer crunchy.

Add the Parmesan and stir in the parsley.  Add salt to taste.  Serve hot.

I’m going to play with adding meaty things to the dish to make it a one-dish thing, like some pancetta or chicken or other yummy things.  What have you added to risotto?