JamieOliver.com

recipe search
a basic risotto recipe © David Loftus
"Great kit makes cooking a pleasure."
Jamie Oliver Get fresh
£2.00

a basic risotto recipe

main courses | serves 6
This is a great recipe for making risotto. You want it to be smooth, creamy and oozy, not thick and stodgy.

stage 1

Heat the stock. In a separate pan heat the olive oil and butter, add the onions, garlic and celery, and fry very slowly for about 15 minutes without colouring. When the vegetables have softened, add the rice and turn up the heat.

stage 2

The rice will now begin to lightly fry, so keep stirring it. After a minute it will look slightly translucent. Add the vermouth or wine and keep stirring — it will smell fantastic. Any harsh alcohol flavours will evaporate and leave the rice with a tasty essence.

stage 3

Once the vermouth or wine has cooked into the rice, add your first ladle of hot stock and a good pinch of salt. Turn down the heat to a simmer so the rice doesn’t cook too quickly on the outside. Keep adding ladlefuls of stock, stirring and almost massaging the creamy starch out of the rice, allowing each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next. This will take around 15 minutes. Taste the rice — is it cooked? Carry on adding stock until the rice is soft but with a slight bite. Don’t forget to check the seasoning carefully. If you run out of stock before the rice is cooked, add some boiling water.

stage 4

Remove from the heat and add the butter and Parmesan. Stir well. Place a lid on the pan and allow to sit for 2 minutes. This is the most important part of making the perfect risotto, as this is when it becomes outrageously creamy and oozy like it should be. Eat it as soon as possible, while the risotto retains its beautiful texture.


• from Jamie's Kitchen

ingredients

• approx• 1.1 litres/2 pints stock (chicken, fish or vegetable as appropriate)
• 1 knob of butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• ½ a head of celery, finely chopped
• 400g/14oz risotto rice
• 2 wineglasses of dry white vermouth (dry Martini or Noilly Prat) or dry white wine
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 70g/2½oz butter
• 115g/4oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese

related forum topics

Subject
Replies
Last post
18
Thu 22 Oct 2009 @ 16:00
4
Sun 06 Sep 2009 @ 11:22
15
Sat 29 Aug 2009 @ 09:34
8
Tue 21 Jul 2009 @ 00:22
1
Thu 11 Jun 2009 @ 03:40

user comments

94 comments
1. theres a place Sat 10 Oct 2009 @ 04:33 great recipe, first success ive had with risotto ever. used red wine and added red cabbage, yum.
2. GMT Tue 06 Oct 2009 @ 11:28 Fantastic. Best risotto recipe I've come across, always a treat. I fry up a tonne of mushrooms and add them at the end, but that's about it.

Great to use any leftover the next day for arancini.
3. Alison Fri 02 Oct 2009 @ 21:34 made this with pearl barley instead of rice, added sweet potato (mashed) and spinach and it was delicious. So easy and cheap too!!
4. gilda Fri 25 Sep 2009 @ 11:38 ever tried smoked salmon offcut and guiness risotto, i made this whilst i was living in glasgow its very good
5. Sergio Fri 11 Sep 2009 @ 05:10 Hullo Jamie,
Cheers from Brazil, mate, keep up the brilliant work!
6. Alena Wed 01 Jul 2009 @ 11:51 this is the first time i have made rissoto and it was so easy. came out perfect. Added some grilled chicken and aspparagus.
Thanks Jamie.
:-)
7. PaulW Sat 09 May 2009 @ 16:40 Great recipe, have just tried a variation using red wine, bacon and mushrooms. Turned out great.
Thanks Jamie
8. MikeS Thu 30 Apr 2009 @ 19:37 Try adding chesnuts and a few mushrooms for that extra texture. Delicious.
9. sonia b italy Tue 14 Apr 2009 @ 22:52 jamie ...you are simply the best
10. sonia b Tue 14 Apr 2009 @ 22:35 ciao jamie sono una ragazza italiana...che ha molta stima di te... la tua semplice genialità è coinvolgente e travolgente... trasmetti entusiasmo nel tuo lavoro e voglia di far sempre meglio..mi piaci tantissimo you are wonderful1111111111111
11. Nadine O\\\'Callaghan Mon 13 Apr 2009 @ 17:22 Jamie my husband and I have been using your cookbooks for years (with much success). We are from Australia and are now living in Turkey and really like the food here but miss cooking from your cookbooks (its hard to find a lot of ingredients that you use here). We were recently in Italy and brought back some aborio rice and used your basic risotto recipe and I have to say it was magic. Thanks for being you and giving us the best recipes!
Nadine.
12. Filipa Thu 02 Apr 2009 @ 23:39 hey, jamie!!
my name is Filipa and i'm just a 12 year old girl ,from portugal.
I and my friend Catarina ,we just love your recipes(and you) and this risotto is just..."look at that" like you always say!

P.S-i wrote all this by my self.
all the best,
Filipa





13. Alicia Fri 27 Mar 2009 @ 17:16 wooow it was really goood and my teacher was amazed thank you soo much woohoo xxx
14. Emily Thu 26 Mar 2009 @ 10:37 I would like to use this in my gcse coursework, is there anything I can use instead of the wine?
15. bandana Thu 19 Mar 2009 @ 16:20 it sounds yummy and m gona try making this, and z it dat we need sum special kind of rice? and can we make this with chicken as well?
16. estiesa Sat 07 Mar 2009 @ 15:39 ı thınk so easy and delicious!
17. Heloisa - Brasil Wed 25 Feb 2009 @ 00:40 God, this is the best risotto recipe ever! Not only because it tastes really good, but because it's realy easy to make. I didn´t have celery, so I´ve used leek instead, and It was really good.
Jamie, thanks for this one. After tasting this risotto, my family loves you even more...! :o)
18. gerry Devon Sat 21 Feb 2009 @ 12:55 Great recipe! Does anyone else heat the alcohol before adding it to the rice?
19. john_lee Thu 29 Jan 2009 @ 19:12 Hannah, you can buy alcohol free white wine in most supermarkets. Why don't you ask your teacher if it would be OK for you to use that? Otherwise just use more stock. Make sure you practice your risotto a couple of times at home because it takes a bit of practice to get it right.

Kate, sausages make a lovely risotto. For this quantity of risotto, take about four good Italian sausages (or British), peel off the skins, break them up, and fry them along with the onions, celery and garlic. You can also add a handful of thawed frozen peas and some fresh thyme leaves.
20. Samantha Mon 26 Jan 2009 @ 08:22 Thank you, this recipe is a great risotto base.
I added a touch of chilli and did a seafood/coriander/white wine risotto.
The way your recipes are written with talk of what happens to the ingredients as you cook is enlightening.
Makes me more aware of each step.
And you were right, when I added the wine to the rice and stirred it in, it smelled AWESOME. It got my man into the kitchen offering assistance!
Thanks Jamie.
21. kate Wed 21 Jan 2009 @ 19:07 hi
If you want to make a risotto with some kind of meat can you do that ? If so what meat im making it with my friend when we go to center parcs !!! by the way i am 13yrs old =)
22. Hannah Fri 16 Jan 2009 @ 18:54 As i cannot us •dry white vermouth (dry Martini or Noilly Prat) or dry white wine
.... as im 15 and making a risotto for part of my G.C.S.E. exam / coursework and not aloud to use any form of alcohol can it be made up with extra stock ?
x
23. mark Sat 10 Jan 2009 @ 19:01 Great recipe and great step by step! I made sure to clean my veg and produce before using so I don't make careless mistakes and cause self inflicted illness or even worse ...Pilot Error!
24. Mel, North Yorkshire Wed 07 Jan 2009 @ 21:51 I've read all the comments and have to say that I'm eager to try the risotto recipe this Saturday. Can't wait! A note to David ~ how can you blame JO's recipe for your spell in hospital!!!!! It put a smile on my face, if nothing else!

Happy New Year to all

PS Please watch your spelling! I cringe when reading your messages sometimes! xx
25. David Mon 05 Jan 2009 @ 14:16 Thanks Jamie i cooked and ate this and i now have severe illness and diarrhea i have now spent christmas and new year in a hospital bed. also this was my babies first christmas and he misses his daddy.
26. Hayley Thu 01 Jan 2009 @ 09:23 I'd never made risotto before and it still turned out fine, i had to add quite a bit of boiling water though, because i ran out of stock. I used sweet potato and corn for the vegetables, i put them in with the onion at the beginning, as long as you stir them a lot they don't burn. I also totally skipped the wine bit.

Thanks for the recipe Jamie :)
27. juliano Wed 24 Dec 2008 @ 13:14 da hora esta gororoba!!! Bagulho é loko.
28. Martin Tue 23 Dec 2008 @ 19:21 Hello,
Add a little splash of white wine (never tried vermouth) 5 minutes before the end of the cooking, if you like the 'winny' flavor.
Enjoy.
Martin
29. grasshopperscrew catering for all occasions Sun 21 Dec 2008 @ 01:01 this is fantastic recipe, i always like to watch all shows of jamie, i never miss a single show, i almost use all his recipes i my business and now his delicious risotto will be another tasty special of eh day for my cafe

thanks Jamie, " you're the best "

emily from perth
30. Jamaica Wed 17 Dec 2008 @ 21:43 Fantastic! Tried this for the first time on my foodie friends saturday night and it got a real thumbs up. Ta.
31. marcus Wed 10 Dec 2008 @ 04:25 I have to admit, this recipe (and i include chicken and mushroom to the mix) is my faviourite must, if i need a dinner party to be flawless. This recipe has never let me down (been using for over four years). I also love to cook Jamies, roast lemon chicken. Thanks again for some great recipes i can depend on to put the seal on making the perfect dinner party......
32. Ailsa Tue 18 Nov 2008 @ 15:32 for my one of my dishes in gcse food tech, i made this dish and added roasted butternut squash and mushrooms. most of my class mates have never had risotto so now with your recipie iv convinced them all :)
my food teacher also sed that it woz the best risotto she's ever tasted. its always one of my favourite dishes
:D
33. J Fri 14 Nov 2008 @ 02:04 Hmmm.... Very Saucy with that last comment...

Dear Mr.Pucker,

I followed your recipe to the letter & measured the ingrediants out to a level of precision unheard of in even the most advanced & absurd culinary institutes. i.e. (Blumenthals Crazy Food Laboratory)

Ok, admiittadly, I did it all spontaenously in the heat of the moment, using just my head & whipped it into shape with a glass of wine in one & a cheeky smile on the other.

So, my point is , after half a bottle of wine, that I've realised that your recipe has a devastatingly major flaw...

Apart from not knowing exactly what the perfect risotto should taste like, although mine being the same result as described in your recipe,...
... It says serves six!...

Six what? It only serves ONE!

One man size portion! haha..

Anyway, I had chopped celery, carrots, onion, garlic etc...
& added different mixes at the end
1.Mushroom.& Peas
2. Mushroom, Peas & Pecorino(Poor peoples parmesan)
3.Fried Mushroom.
Wine, More wine etc.etc.

I'm now mildy, temporarily & happily overweight, enjoying some more fine booze & music while I relax & digest all the fruity goodness of easy labour..

Nice....

By the way.. I have a very large, fresh & tasty looking Corgette going to waste over here.(It bends slightly to one side though) I should have used it earlier or offered it to my friend to use in her tasty dish, this evening. Shame to let it go to waste, it really is a sight to behold.. Anyway, If you have any interesting recipe ideas for it then be sure to let me know..

:)
34. M Mon 20 Oct 2008 @ 10:50 This risotto is as tasty as Jamie himself ;)
The only thing that would make it tastier would be to lick it of his celery stick :O
35. JOANNE FISHER Wed 15 Oct 2008 @ 16:20 Jamie I would just like to say that I am a huge fan of yours and your cooking and work within the communities is fantastic but one thing why on The ministry of food do you say f**k so much ?????????!!!!!
36. Rebecca Smart Wed 15 Oct 2008 @ 13:49 that last comment must have been a real ass himself; I have worked in this industry for over 10 years love all of your shows and recipies! my children especially love watching and then making them with me
Bec
37. Han Thu 09 Oct 2008 @ 18:35 Frederick Felch - maybe the recipe was a little beyond your skills?? Just a thought...
38. susiegreen Thu 09 Oct 2008 @ 00:42 Jamie love your recipes but please let's have some nice gluten free recipe's i'm starving here feed the family forget myself love you x
39. Kevin Wed 08 Oct 2008 @ 12:25 Frederick Felch you insecure jealous little man.shame on your negative thinking.

great recipe jamie!!!!!!
40. Frederick Felch Sat 04 Oct 2008 @ 20:24 We tried this tonight and it was absolutely shite. How this guy got to be a chef dumbfounds me.
41. Cara Wed 01 Oct 2008 @ 16:43 I would quite fancy you if you could get rid of that lisp!
42. Jumaolster Sat 27 Sep 2008 @ 18:51 very nice recipe. I don't like celery in risotto, so I skip that. I use Vialone Nano, so I just pour over half of the stock, leave it to simmer very slowly without messing with the rice, and check waht is needed after 15 minutes. I don't like butter, but add lots of parmesan.
43. Flora Thu 25 Sep 2008 @ 11:37 It's the simplest and the most delicious food anyone can make!
44. Brandon Sun 21 Sep 2008 @ 22:29 I made this for my grandparents and they loved it. (By the way im 15 and i have mastered this recipe) This is in respoonse to kelly. Kelly when i made this the second time we subsitituted the wine for just plain old water and it tasted delicious.


--Brandon
45. Danielle Mon 15 Sep 2008 @ 05:15 i love watching jamie get excited when he cooks his risotto!!
i mixed in roasted pumpkin and a can of corn kernels at the end, amazing!!
46. Giovanni Sun 07 Sep 2008 @ 02:26 Mmmmmm!!! It was good!!! Very very very good!!!
Thanks JO....
gIO.
47. rimshah Wed 03 Sep 2008 @ 22:15 jamie uu totally rock
grrr
48. juli Tue 29 Jul 2008 @ 09:35 I think is vry good YOU ARE THE BEST:
49. ISABELLE Sat 26 Jul 2008 @ 04:11 I simply loved this recipe. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. You're the greatest chef of all.
50. Jacqui Stewart Wed 09 Jul 2008 @ 18:10 So pleased you have this on your website - I have all your books at "home" but can't carry them everywhere with me - I live in the Middle East - so can cooke my JO favourites here in the UK too!
51. Lauren Wed 02 Jul 2008 @ 13:47 lovely, i added mushrooms, zucchini,and small cubes of squash. And a blob of yoghurt or my 4 yr old : )
52. danielle Tue 24 Jun 2008 @ 22:37 I'm going to make this for my family tomorrow, the only problem is my little sister is totally fussy when it comes to food.
I was thinking about adding peas and using mozarella instead of parmesan. I'm not sure if we have any celery or if I'm going to have the chance to pop up and buy any, what can i subsitute it with?
53. Maja Sun 22 Jun 2008 @ 20:50 Boy, did I get a lot of compliments making this risotto according to Jamie's recipe.... Mind you, my guests were served grilled anchovies, prawns, baby squids (I cleaned them myself, what a job...), red mullets, salads.... But only the risotto was gone within approx. 15 minutes!
54. Zuzanna Fri 13 Jun 2008 @ 14:24 Simply perfect!
Good for lousy mood:)
55. Zuzanna Fri 13 Jun 2008 @ 14:24 Simply perfect. Good for lousy mood:)
56. raf Sun 08 Jun 2008 @ 08:04 Benjamin, The most common rice used in risotto is called arborio rice. It's named after the town in the Po valley where it was developed. Alternatives include carnaroli, vialone nano, and the newer baldo but i'd never heard of any of these until just now when I looked it up on wikipedia. :) Cheers, raf
57. Bonnie Sat 31 May 2008 @ 15:33 This recipe sounds awesome! Can't wait to try it out.. Was just wondering, at which stage are we supposed to add extras such as mushroom, vegies, herbs and etc???? Thanks!
58. Ellie Tue 27 May 2008 @ 12:12 I am a student so limited cash means I have to cook on a budget... but this risotto is fantastic! It's so cheap to make and tastes fantastic every time. Just goes to show you don't have to spend a lot of money to eat good food!
59. raf Mon 26 May 2008 @ 02:30 Kelli,
I'm only guessing here but perhaps verjuice
would be a good substitute for the wine.
It's just unripe grape juice and very nice for
adding a bit of sourness to a dish without
affecting the flavour too much. It's a mild
alternative to vinegar and may not be any
good as a wine substitute in risotto but it's
worth a try.
Good Luck,
raf
60. Kelli Wed 21 May 2008 @ 13:51 I really want to try this but my spouse is a recovering alcoholic, and even a whiff of alcohol will put him off - what could I substitute for the wine / vermouth? Even the alcohol free wine would be off-putting for him, and I do want to be supportive.

Thanks,
K
61. Benjamin Tue 13 May 2008 @ 21:19 what kind of rice should i buy for this rissoto i know it say rissoto rice but i have never seen rice that said rissoto by it.
62. Eliran Tue 13 May 2008 @ 10:25 This recipe is by far the best thing ever. It is truly delicious, and has won me endless compliments (I always said that the credit goes to Jamie) :)
A must for every food lover.
63. Patricia Thu 08 May 2008 @ 00:53 Jamie, I adore you!!
And all of your recipes...
Kisses, from Brasil!
64. chris Sat 05 Apr 2008 @ 21:20 i want to work for u jamie
65. chris Sat 05 Apr 2008 @ 20:04 and red peppers:)and 100g of gravy...mmmm
66. Nat Tue 01 Apr 2008 @ 20:08 WOW. had it tonight - amazing. only problem was that it cooked dry so i added more stock but the rice wasnt cooking propperly. but even my partner loved it and he doesnt like garlic or rice. 100%
67. Kelly Wed 26 Mar 2008 @ 23:53 I can't stand celery!!! Can I make it without it??? What can I substitute it with???
68. Jamal Wed 26 Mar 2008 @ 16:32 I made risotto for the first time last night following this recipe. I was very surprised how nice it was. I have had risotto before and it wasn’t nice. The family loved it, cheers Jamie.
69. Michael Tue 18 Mar 2008 @ 17:20 I loved it
70. rimshah Sun 02 Mar 2008 @ 16:44 i think this a really good recipe i am only 13 im making it for my mum for mothers day

i love it

but i added some tamaric because it gives it a really nice flavour and a really nice vibrant yellow colour which you see in most risottos
71. Mary A Fri 29 Feb 2008 @ 19:31 Jamie this is a great basic risotto!! I have seen you make it and I do love your new program "Jamie at Home". Keep the shows comming. You are indeed a top notch chef!!
72. Tracy Mon 04 Feb 2008 @ 16:56 extremely easy reipe, the kids love it. Prawns and peas added is a favourite in our house!
73. Vicky Sat 02 Feb 2008 @ 22:12 JEEZ that was one tasty meal, it took quite alot of stiring but was worth it millions and billions tho. nice work jamie oh and thanks for saving the chickens
74. Petra Fri 01 Feb 2008 @ 20:28 I highly recommend to try this one, with spinach and mushrooms.Yaaaaaahm.
Thanks Jamie
75. Ellen Thu 24 Jan 2008 @ 01:17 Yum yum yum and yum! Added mushroom and red pepper too - was so tasty!! Hugh I used the nob first and 2 n half pound at the end. Worked great. Thanks Jamie!
76. Hugh Sun 13 Jan 2008 @ 16:43 which amount of butter do you us first the knob or the 2 n half oz
77. Jen Tue 08 Jan 2008 @ 17:45 This is my favorite risotto recipe I've ever tried- and I've tried A LOT. I almost skipped the celery b/c I thought, "Celery? In risotto?" It sounded weird. But I am SO glad I tried it. It added really great flavor. Bravo! Great recipe!!!
78. Hanz Sun 30 Dec 2007 @ 18:56 hmmmmm..... I might try this... was the recipe easy to follow??
79. Tina Sun 11 Nov 2007 @ 19:18
Thanks for the easiest risotto recipe I´ve ever made. Delicious!

Ta

80. Sophie D - Montreal Fri 26 Oct 2007 @ 20:45 This is the simplest and best basic risotto recipe I've come across and am really happy to have tried it. We love your books and your no-fuss style of cooking. When can we see you do a cooking tour? From a Montreal fan
81. kim Tue 09 Oct 2007 @ 09:26 I was wondering how long this recipe takes?
82. Albert Fri 21 Sep 2007 @ 07:11 Thanks Jamie,
Top recipe, Jamie
I'm a huge fan of yours. You're tuly an Asset and ambassedor in the restaurant industry(Internationally). you've inspired countless people which helps address the acute skill shortage.

83. Lee Taylor Tue 11 Sep 2007 @ 19:11 Jammie has done us proud
top doller recipit
84. Lycos Tue 04 Sep 2007 @ 22:11 one of the most important part of making the risotto is the "tostatura" (to cook the rice at very higth temperature with some fat - oil, butter, bonemarrow), if we put onion, garlic or celery they will burn, not better to add them after the wine already cooked and proccessed ?
85. Christine Tue 04 Sep 2007 @ 18:57 Tracy: The alcohol cooks out of the wine, it is no problem for kids to eat.

If you're really concerned, you can get half-decent alchol free wine at grocery stores.
86. Wendy Sun 26 Aug 2007 @ 22:41 Beautiful Jamie, mmmmmmmmmmmmm! Light & satisfying. Could you also recommend an alternative ingredient for the wine for a working lunch on the go?
87. tracy Tue 14 Aug 2007 @ 21:36 would love to make this is it ok for kids what can i replace the wine with
88. Stefan Mon 13 Aug 2007 @ 15:07 A really great recipe! I have tried a lot of risottos in my life, but this was the best of all! Thanks for recipe Jamie!
89. mary Fri 03 Aug 2007 @ 00:14 yup - this definately worked for us. Added spinach and mushrooms and a handfull of herbs from the garden and voila! one fab and fairly easy tea
90. helen Tue 24 Jul 2007 @ 13:34 Can i make this the day before?
91. Jen Sun 08 Jul 2007 @ 06:09 Great recipe. I love risotto because I can toss in all sorts of things from my weekly CSA farm share. Spinach and broccoli rabe one week, peas and fresh mint the next. Thanks Jamie!
92. Antonio Thu 05 Jul 2007 @ 17:52 Yes ... celery ... why i did not think of it myself ?
93. JennyR Thu 21 Jun 2007 @ 19:06 Serve this with pesto and roasted cherry tomatoes, simply fantastic!
94. pam Cornwell Fri 15 Jun 2007 @ 17:36 This is the best risotto recipe it comes out perfectly each time. I will not use another now thank you
love Pam

make a comment

Name

Email (your email will not be displayed)

Comment
Advertisement