Oven-Baked Brown Rice Risotto was long in coming.
Everyone loves risotto. I’ve been making risotto since I was in my twenties, back when we all believed that it should only be made with Arborio rice. Standing at the stove, stirring and stirring, missing the party. And as often as not, the final dish would be too soupy, or too tight. I’m not a great cook; I lack the instincts to know just when to stop or start, or how to taste and make subtle adjustments with confidence. I would order risotto whenever it was on the menu at a restaurant and marvel at just how perfect it was, unlike mine. Even when the Italian waitress called it “ris-AH-tah.” That was wrong to my ear – it was ris-OH-toh to me. But her dish ris-AH-tah tasted much better than my ris-OH-to. I kept trying.
Along came Carnaroli rice, another short-grain white rice. I stirred and stirred. Same thing. I finally came to accept that risotto was just not going to be in rotation in my kitchen. I was missing something. Even after watching Ron’s sister Susan make it on my stove – She achieved that perfectly creamy texture and delectable flavors (without using butter!), but I had no idea, even after standing at her elbow, what she was doing differently from me.
I just lost interest, not only due to my lackluster results, but also because I stopped eating white rice for the most part.
Then, years later, the Instant Pot hit the scene. I wasn’t yet retired, so I was completely enamored of this appliance that promised to simplify cooking, save time, and meld flavors effortlessly. I found an Instant Pot recipe for Mushroom Risotto using brown rice. Yay! I made it fairly often, and started using short-grain brown rice at some point. It wasn’t perfect, but it was easy, and I tried to convince myself that it was good enough.
So, I had tried Arborio, Carnaroli, long-grain brown rice, short-grain brown rice. I had tried the stovetop and the Instant Pot – but I hadn’t tried the oven. Well, I think I’ve finally nailed it. This is my basic recipe for Brown Rice Risotto using the oven, and it’s very good!
Brown Rice Risotto
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups short grain brown rice
- 3 1/2 cups chicken stock (divided – 3 cups, 1/2 cup)
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- 2 T butter
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup fresh herbs
- 4 ounces Parmesan cheese
- roasted veg, mushrooms, and/or meat/shellfish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven and sauté the aromatics in a Dutch oven – Preheat the oven to 375℉. I don't use convection here because the dish will be covered. Mince the onion and the garlic. Sauté the onions until soft, then stir in the garlic.
- Add the rice, and then the wine – Add the rice and sauté with the onions and garlic until the rice begins to become translucent, then add the wine. Cook, stirring often, until the wine nearly evaporates. Stir in whatever ingredients you're using that will flavor the broth and/or benefit from the cooking time.
- Simmer in the oven – Add the 3 cups of broth and salt/pepper to taste, then place the lid on the Dutch oven. Simmer, covered, in the oven for 55 minutes. Don't peek! While the risotto is cooking, grate the cheese.
- Finish – Pull the risotto out of the oven and add the the cheese, 2 T butter, 1/2 cup of warm broth, and the half-and-half. Stir vigorously, then fold in the roasted veg or any other pre-prepared ingredients you're using. Top with the fresh herbs and black pepper.
Notes
This basic recipe serves as the base for infinite variations. The key is to decide what veg, protein, mushroom, and herb varieties you want to use. Then decide what will be cooked separately, what should be added to the broth and cooked with the risotto, and what should be stirred in at the end. For example, I’ve used left over pork loin that was tough and unappealing. I shredded it and added it to the broth with the rice, and it not only flavored the risotto, it became tender and moist in the process. I typically sauté mushrooms in advance, but then add it to the broth as well, because it adds that umami flavor. I like to roast some vegetables in advance, but slow-roasting veg in the oven while the risotto cooks works too. Other veg, like asparagus, and peas, I’ll stir in at the end without pre-cooking. Anything goes. The only advice I’ll give you is to keep it simple, and think of combinations that will go well together so that your taste buds aren’t overwhelmed. You want the flavors and textures to meld and mingle.
Hmm. Now I’m thinking that Ris-AHHHH-tah is right after all.
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