Hi

I am having some friends round next weekend and want to cook a Risotto,
can anyone give me some comments about which of the Risotto rices are
best and why; Vialone Nano, Arborio or Carnaroli?

Many thanks

Alex

"Alex" > wrote in message
...
> Hi
>
> I am having some friends round next weekend and want to cook a Risotto,
> can anyone give me some comments about which of the Risotto rices are
> best and why; Vialone Nano, Arborio or Carnaroli?
>
> Many thanks
>
> Alex
>

I have tried both arborio and carnaroli and my experience is that while they
are different, you will see greater differences between different
brands/batches of the same rice (arborio for example) than between the two
different types. I think it is more important to have top quality rice,
imported from Italy of course, and less important which type it is.


--
Peter Aitken

Remove the crap from my email address before using.

>Hi
>
>I am having some friends round next weekend and want to cook a Risotto,
>can anyone give me some comments about which of the Risotto rices are
>best and why; Vialone Nano, Arborio or Carnaroli?
>
>Many thanks
>
>Alex
>
Vialone Nano grains produce a less creamy risotto and has a more toothsome
quality than Arborio. Carnaroli is the best rice for risotto. It produces a
very creamy risotto with more bite to it than Arborio. Arborio is sort of the
red headed stepchild of short grain Italian rices... it's fine to use, but if
you can find Carnaroli I would recommend that.

Suzanne

Alex wrote:
> Hi
>
> I am having some friends round next weekend and want to cook a Risotto,
> can anyone give me some comments about which of the Risotto rices are
> best and why; Vialone Nano, Arborio or Carnaroli?
>
> Many thanks
>
> Alex
>

Arborio rice is the best-known variety and the Italians' favorite,
perhaps because its grain is very large it is easy to cook al dente
without overcooking. Arborio is particularly suitable for risotto.

Vialone rice has a smaller grain and is very common in the Veneto
area. Generally it is cooked all’onda (wavy), that is, consistent but
still soft and not too dry.

Carnaroli is first-rate rice, cultivated mainly in the Piemonte area.
It cooks uniformly without overcooking, has a very special taste, and
mingles very well with condiments. Carnaroli will absorb a larger amount
of liquid. It is particularly suitable for risotto and rice salad.

As peter aitken says in a different part of this thread, it is important
to have a good quality rice. There it is difficut to help. I found very
good ones and very bad ones. I would use Carnaroli. It is a little more
expensive, but should be a higher quality. Good luck.

Ciao, Anna Maria


www.annamariavolpi.com

>From: Alex
>Date: 12/27/03 12:11 PM Central

>I am having some friends round next weekend and want to cook a Risotto,
>can anyone give me some comments about which of the Risotto rices are
>best and why

La Preferida brand has a Mexican Pearl Rice in a 2 pound bag for about $1.59.
It may not be " the best ", but it cooks up to a nice risotto at a nice price.

Maybe as important as the specific rice are the other ingredients and herbs
added to the dish. What are you adding to the rice?

Brent97G wrote:
>>From: Alex
>>Date: 12/27/03 12:11 PM Central
>
>
>>I am having some friends round next weekend and want to cook a Risotto,
>>can anyone give me some comments about which of the Risotto rices are
>>best and why
>
>
> La Preferida brand has a Mexican Pearl Rice in a 2 pound bag for about $1.59.
> It may not be " the best ", but it cooks up to a nice risotto at a nice price.
>
> Maybe as important as the specific rice are the other ingredients and herbs
> added to the dish. What are you adding to the rice?

I am in the UK so La Preferida brand i don't think is an option.

I was planning a wild mushroom risotto.

Alex wrote:

> Brent97G wrote:
>
>>> From: Alex Date: 12/27/03 12:11 PM Central
>>
>>
>
> I was planning a wild mushroom risotto.
>
>

excellent ..... remember to use a good broth and true parmigiano
reggiano for best result!

buon appetito!

ciao, anna maria


www.annamariavolpi.com