Easiest Risotto Ever

This is the cheater's version of risotto, so if you are a purist, turn away now.  But I'll just say it is fabulously delicious and takes very little work.

I actually made this recipe a few times this winter, but it doesn't really photograph well.

I've made it recently because it's turned chilly out and the oven heat is welcome.  Because, yes, the oven is on for almost an hour and does most of the work.  It's an awesome trick.

Asparagus risotto

The recipe is based on one from the Barefoot Contessa.  I tweaked it several times over.

Easy Oven Risotto

1 1/2 cups arborio rice, barley, or short-grain brown rice
5-6 cups chicken stock, divided
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning or just dried sage, optional
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1 garlic clove, minced, optional
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup dry white wine, red wine, or just more stock
2-3 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 cup frozen peas, chopped asparagus, or chopped spinach

Heat 4 cups of stock in cast-iron Dutch oven or other oven-safe pan.  (Use an extra cup if you are using barley or brown rice, so heat 5 cups).  Pour in your grain of choice plus the mushrooms and optional garlic and sage.  Clap on a lid.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes for arborio rice, but 60 minutes for the barley and brown rice.
Heat up the remaining cup of chicken stock (I use the microwave).  Have the cheese, wine, butter, salt, pepper, and green veg all ready to go.
Remove the Dutch oven from oven.  Immediately pour in the hot chicken stock.  Stir vigorously.  Add the cheese, wine, butter, salt and pepper.  Stir vigorously for 2-3 minutes.  Add the green veg.  Stir again and put the lid on or turn the stove burner on low until the risotto is hot through and the vegetable is just barely cooked.

Notes:  Do not try to use long-grain rice with this recipe.  Arborio is a short-grain rice.  Short-grain rices, it is my understanding, have more starch and so will cook up into a more gluey end product than long-grain rices which will be fluffier.  The gluey starch is what translates into "creamy" in risotto.

for dinner, with a green salad

Risotto is great for dinner with a green salad, or for breakfast with some fruit on the side.  Leftovers reheat beautifully, or can sneaked out of the fridge, cold.

 

I wonder what I was expounding on here when my husband snapped this photo?  This was Saturday night.  And then we had gingerbread with a few dregs of lemon curd whipped with heavy cream.