Cooks Illustrated Corn Risotto Recipes

THE BEST RISOTTO

Steps:

• Warm the chicken stock in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, cover and keep warm while you make the risotto.
• Heat the olive oil in another medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the shallot, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and about 10 grinds of black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the bay leaves and 3 tablespoons butter, stirring until the butter has melted, about 1 minute.
• Add the rice and toast, stirring only once, until it smells nutty and starts to turn light golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Pour in the wine and simmer, stirring occasionally, until it has evaporated completely, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Ladle one cup of the warm stock into the rice and cook, stirring gently without stopping, until the rice has absorbed the liquid, 2 to 3 minutes (you will know it's time to add more stock when you move the rice aside and no liquid pools in the center).
• Repeat this process, adding more stock a ladleful at a time, until the rice is al dente, 17 to 19 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. (You may have a little stock left over. If so, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.) If you prefer your risotto on the saucier side, add more stock 1/4 cup at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
• Stir in the Parmesan, the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon salt and a few more grinds of black pepper and serve with more Parmesan, if desired.

CORN RISOTTO

Steps:

• Bring the corn stock or chicken stock to a simmer in a saucepan and keep it simmering as you prepare the risotto.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a wide, high-sided sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add leek and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add rice and cook, stirring, until grains look slightly translucent.
• Pour in wine and cook, stirring, until it has all been absorbed, about 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add a ladleful of hot corn stock to the rice mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until rice has absorbed all of the stock. Continue cooking, adding ladlefuls of stock whenever rice mixture looks dry and stirring continuously. When half the stock has been added, stir in corn. Continue cooking until all of the stock is incorporated, corn is tender and rice is creamy and tender, about 30 to 40 minutes total.
• Remove risotto from heat and stir in Parmesan and remaining tablespoon of butter. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.
• In an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat cream at high speed until it holds stiff peaks. Uncover risotto, stir vigorously and season to taste with salt and pepper. Immediately before serving, stir in the chives, if using, then gently fold in cream.
• Combine all ingredients with 6 cups water in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat so liquid is simmering; cover pot and let simmer for 30 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer. Add enough water to bring liquid up to 6 cups.

GRILLED CORN RISOTTO

Steps:

• Heat the grill to medium-high heat. Grill the corn until lightly charred on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove the kernels from the cobs and reserve the cobs.
• Break the reserved corn cobs in half and place them in a large pot with the stock. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, and then turn off the heat and steep the cobs in the stock for 30 minutes.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the fennel and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Remove the fennel from the pan and set aside. Add another 2 tablespoons of the butter to the pan and cook the corn kernels until soft and velvety, 10 to 15 minutes. Season the corn with salt and pepper, and set it aside.
• Pass the corn stock through a strainer into a saucepan and discard the cobs. Keep warm over low heat. Heat the oil in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and saute, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until it no longer appears chalky on the outside, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add the wine and simmer, stirring frequently, until absorbed, about 5 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups of the corn stock, stirring frequently until the liquid is absorbed, about 7 minutes. Add another 1 1/2 cups of stock and simmer, stirring frequently, until the liquid is mostly absorbed and the rice appears fluffy, but is still slightly firm. If the rice is still hard or chewy, add the remaining stock, 1 cup at a time, and keep stirring until the proper doneness is reached. The total cooking time should be 20 to 25 minutes. You might not use all 6 cups of stock, but any remaining stock can be refrigerated and used for another dish.
• Stir in the reserved fennel and corn kernels, the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Season with salt and pepper, and serve. Garnish with fennel fronds.