A nice dish of risotto can act as the focus of a meal, get the whole family to agree on something, and warm your belly on cold winter evenings. It is also a safe choice for those with gluten intolerance. To make it properly, however, you need to master the technique and serve it “wave style.” Here’s how to do it.
What is the wave effect in risotto?
Wave-style is how risotto should be served: moist yet solid, dense yet creamy. The name comes from the way the rice moves if you shake the pan when adding the butter and cheese, making the rice roll like a wave. The rice practically folds over on itself. When plating this kind of risotto, it will gently follow the tilt of the plate.
How to prepare a perfectly velvety risotto
To achieve that risotto wave, be sure to add the broth a little at a time, adding a bit more as the rice absorbs it. The technique of adding the broth all at once can work for very fluffy rice, but it won’t produce the ideal creaminess.
Mantecare: the untranslatable art
Probably the most crucial step is adding the butter and cheese, usually Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano, and stirring it to create a creamy consistency (mantecare in Italian). One chef’s trick is to use very cold butter and cheese right out of the fridge, or even using butter that has been in the freezer for a few hours. The temperature shock will help get that velvety consistency typical of a wave-style risotto. The right way to combine the ingredients is off the heat and without stirring, but shaking the pan back and forth while holding it firmly by the handle. You need to make the rice practically fold over on itself, creating waves, thereby incorporating the butter and cheese with the rice.
Choosing accessories
In addition to the cooking and combining method, it’s important to use the right pan for making risotto. The saucepan should not be too deep (a pot used to boil pasta would not be suitable) because the rice on the surface would not cook as quickly as the rice at the bottom. If you opt for a wider pan, then choose one with relatively high sides. The handle on the pan should also be long, so the cook can move it around sharply to combine the butter and cheese with the rice.