Cook's Illustrated has done it again! Although I was skeptical of the May 2010 issue's claim that it had a tried-and-true "Almost Hands-Free Risotto with Parmasean and Herbs" recipe (particularly skeptical of the "Almost Hands-Free" claim), I tried the recipe a few weeks ago in my new dutch oven and was SHOCKED at how easy this risotto was to prepare. Instead of stressing over the stovetop for an hour, constantly stirring in small batches of hot vegetable stock, I was able to spend just a few minutes on the dish on the front end, and then set the timer to let the risotto cook by itself for 15 minutes or so before giving it a vigorous stir at the end.
I was shocked that the result wasn't mushy or too dry, rather the rice was perfectly cooked — each grain retained its own form. The flavor of the final dish was also perfect — instead of getting sick of the rice after a few bites, which has happened with both restaurant and homemade risotto alike, I kept going back for more servings to experience the subtle lemon and savory herb flavors.
This recipe is definitely my new go-to for risotto, especially for dinner parties because it will be easy to prepare this as a side dish while simultaneously preparing a more complicated main dish. And with my adoption of the freezing-herbs technique which works wonderfully with both parsley and chives (wash and dry the herbs, then place in a single layer on a baking sheet, place sheet in freezer for 30 minutes, then place the herbs into a freezer-safe plastic bag or container — they will retain both their color and flavor for months!), I will almost always have the ingredients on hand!
I'd say that this recipe alone is worth purchasing an online subscription to CooksIllustrated.com — if you have ever thought risotto would be too complicated to make at home, or had homemade risotto disasters, you won't regret trying these directions!
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