A New Way to Cook Arborio Rice

Standing at the stove and stirring Arborio rice while everyone else is chatting is one reason a lot of people avoid making Risotto.  Most types of rice can cook by themselves, but I’ve always been told that because Arborio rice has so much starch in it, you’ve got to keep stirring until it has finished cooking.

I’m happy to report
that if you cook the rice in the oven, constant stirring is not necessary.  A friend gave me this recipe, and I was suspicious at first.  But I tried it, and I liked the end result. You just have to make sure you add enough liquid so that the rice remains creamy and doesn’t dry out. 

Oven-Baked Risotto with Shrimp – serves 3-4 

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
3/4 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup white wine
2½ cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound peeled raw shrimp (about 21-25 extra large)
Grated Parmesan cheese 

Begin preheating the oven to 425 degrees. 

Add the olive oil to a casserole dish that can be heated on the stove or to a large frying pan.  Turn the heat to medium-high and add the onion and garlic.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until the onion has softened. 

Add the rice and stir for 1 minute so that it is coated with oil.  Add the wine and cook until it has been absorbed, about 1 minute.  Add the stock, sesame oil, salt and black pepper and bring to a boil.  Remove from the heat.  If you used a casserole dish, cover with a lid or foil.  If you used a frying pan that cannot go into the oven, transfer the tice to a casserole dish and cover with foil. 

Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and stir in the shrimp.  If the rice seems dry, add 1/2 cup stock or water.  Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes, or until the shrimp turn pink and are firm to the touch. The rice should be creamy. 

Remove from the oven, stir well and serve.  Pass the Parmesan cheese.

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