Fear Not the Risotto

I believed that risotto was very complicated, took hours and a skill set I didn't possess.  That's just not the case.  Risotto is a little time intensive, but not much more than cooking any other meal from scratch.  It's delicious as an entree, or a side.

Ingredients
2 cups Arborio rice
6 cups stock  (chicken or vegetable)
4 oz parmesan cheese - the good stuff, not in a can
2 tbsp butter
kosher salt
black pepper

Non-standard supplies
none

Instructions

1. Heat the stock to a simmer in a sauce pan.
2. In a large fry pan, melt the butter.
3. Add the rice, and stir with a wooden spoon so the butter coats every grain of rice.  It will look silvery or translucent once it absorbs the butter. If there is extra butter, that's ok.  Just keep going.
4. Add stock one ladle at a time, pouring slowly.
5. Stir rice (not constantly) and let it simmer over medium-high heat as it aborbs the stock.
6. Meanwhile finely grate (Microplane is perfect) the cheese.
7. Once it looks like the liquid is gone, repeat steps 4 and 5
8. After the third ladle, the rice should look starchy and gummy.  Try the rice occasionally to gauge if it's done.  I prefer mine more cooked than al dente, but it's just whatever you like.
9. Don't try to use all the stock.  If you have some left over, it's ok.  This isn't a soup.  It shouldn't be floating in a broth.
10. Once rice is cooked to your liking add cheese and pepper.  Parm is very salty, so add it before salting the rice.  It may not need it.

Variations

I like to saute mushrooms and add them between steps 8 and 9.  Any vegetable would work though.