Creamy Risotto with White Wine and Cheese

We went to an Italian Deli & Market recently and I decided to pick up a box of Arborio rice. I've never cooked with it, but I wanted to learn how to make Risotto. I've been reading lots of online recipes from some of the best chefs, and finally, today is the day.

I made a delicious risotto with pan seared shrimp for lunch. I was surprised at how easy it is to make. It just takes time, but now that I've mastered this, we'll be enjoying this Italian comfort food a lot in the future.

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1¼ cup of Arborio rice
• 1 cup of dry white wine
• 4-5 cups of chicken stock (you may not need all of the stock)
• ½ cup of grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• ½ cup of grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese
• 1 tablespoon of chopped chives
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

• You need to prep all of the ingredients first. Once you start cooking the rice, you won't be able to multi-task, because all of your attention needs to be on the rice.
• Heat the chicken stock in a sauce pan so it will be hot when you're ready to add it to the rice.
• In a large skillet heat the olive oil and butter over medium low heat. Add the onions and sauté for a minute or two, then add the garlic (if you add the garlic too soon, it could burn and give the garlic a bitter taste). 
• When the onions are clear, add the rice and stir constantly for about 2 minutes. You will hear the rice start to crackle, but it should not toast. 
• Now, add the wine, continue stirring and let the wine reduce. 
• Once the rice has absorbed the wine, add a ladle of chicken stock, keep stirring and the rice with absorb the stock. 
• Every time the chicken stock is absorbed by the rice, add another ladle of hot chicken stock, continue gently stirring and start checking the rice for doneness at about 15-20 minutes. 
• The Risotto is done when it is nice and thick, but not sticky. It should take about 20-25 minutes for the rice to be thoroughly cooked. 
• When it's cooked, stir in the cheeses, and salt and pepper to taste. 
• Serve immediately and top with the chopped chives.

Serves: 4

Note: There of lots of variations to making a good Risotto and in the future we'll be trying this with mushrooms, vegetables, heavy cream, and different flavored stocks.