Not Stir Instant Pot Risotto
I’m sure that the thought of doing Risotto in the instant pot will send plenty of Italian grandmothers screaming from the kitchen with their hair on fire, but actually it’s pretty damn good.
When we first got married Mr Bon Vivant got me a 100 Risotto cookbook. At the time, I was new to being gluten free and risotto was a safe options at most restaurants and he saw me often order it. I loved the book and cooked many many a risotto in those early years. All that is to say, I know all about the painstaking labor of making a slow cooked risotto. It’s lovely, and it tastes great. It’s a creamy festival of subtle flavors. Fast forward to now and who has the time to stand at the stove and slowly spoon broth into a sauce and pain and stir until I have carpel tunnel. Most nights at dinner I am holding a child or having one attempt to crawl up my body for the majority of the prep. I need meal to be easy. I need them to be set and forget. I need them to be excellent because I’m a food snob and I don’t eat swill.
Because I’m a food snob I will tell you the truth. Risotto in the instant pot is just as good. I’m serious. There are some things that cooked in the instant pot are not as good and the slow cooked version. The instant pot isn’t for cooking absolutely everything. However when it comes to risotto it is just as lovely, and creamy, and full of extracted flavors, as the it’s slow cooked counterpart. You are missing nothing by taking this shortcut.
One caveate to that is your risotto will only be as good as your bone broth. I highly suggest making your own in the instant pot, but when you can’t make it, I suggest you buy something that is rich and thick. When I can’t make my own I use Boneafide, Presserberry, or another one of those frozen made by grandma brands. (No affiliate or promotions for those statements).
Instant Pot Risotto- Butternut Squash and Mushrooms
Notes
Risotto is called creamy rice although no actual cream is added. The creamy texture is created by the starch in the rice. However it's really common to find risotto on restaurant menus with cream or cheese added. So do what suits you. The recipe above will produce a very creamy rice, but if you like the taste and texture of a touch of cream of soft cheese like mascarpone added, by all means make yourself happy. There are no risotto police who will come busting into your house and arrest you for the extra dairy.
Ingredients
- 2 C arborio rice
- 4 C Bone Broth (homemade if possible)
- onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- mushrooms
- 6 strips of bacon
- 2 C butternut squash cubes
- 4 C sliced mushrooms
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 C Parmigiana Cheese
- 1/4 C Butter
- 1/2 C Chopped Fresh Basil
Instructions
- Start the sauté feature on the Instant Pot and add the bacon. Let it heat till the fat starts to render. Add the onions and garlic. Add a sprinkle of salt to allow the onion and garlic to sweet. Because the bacon and cheese are salty, do not over salt. Let the onions sweat for a bit and once they start to soften then add the mushrooms. Mix to coat them in fat. Do not over stir while cooking. Let the brown bits develop on the pan. This adds layers of flavor.
- When the onion and mushrooms are cooked, push them around to the sides of the pot and make a well and add the rice to the pot. Let the rice cook just a little, do not let it brown. Mix it to allow all the rice to cook. Look for the grains to become slightly opaque. This helps the starch transfer and makes for a creamier risotto.
- Once the rice in the starch has been cooked then add the stock. Also add the butternut at this point and stir. Add one tsp of salt.
- Put the lid on the pot and cook for 5 mins. Once done release pressure immediately. Stir well, this helps develop the starch which makes the creamy texture. Add the butter and fold in. Stir it in gently otherwise it will smash the rice and make the texture gummy and mushy. Folding it in, lets the rice gains stay intact. As you stir the butter add the fresh basil. and the parmigiana cheese.
- To serve, place on a plate or bowl and sprinkle with a little additional cheese and black pepper.
