Cooking risotto seems to differ from regular rice in two important ways:
- you stir the risotto regularly
- you only introduce liquid a little bit at a time
What is the effect of these two steps chemically on the rice that yields such a different product than just throwing it in boiling water and covering?
Best Answer
I always thought, and one of my molecular cooking books indicates that, smaller batches kept the heat higher (less temperature shock), and the scraping released starch. The article Key success factor for tasty and creamy risotto on ideas-smart.com indicates something slightly different:
This matches personal experience and some (other) of my cook books.