I grew up in the seventies and it must be willingly admitted that this was not the decade of great gastronomy. The risotto that we Swedish schoolchildren were served was a strange interpretation consisting of dry, not to say grainy, long-grain Asian rice. Preferably spiced with frozen vegetable mix (green peas, corn and peppers). No Parmesan as far as the eye could see. Geez, another one of those gastronomic freaks!
So what makes a good risotto? The type of rice, its quality, the broth, the wine, the cooking time, the stirring technique and the quality of the Parmesan. Maybe not in that order, but all these ingredients must be included regardless of the risotto type. In Italy, risotto is enjoyed as a primo piatto. A dish eaten after antipasto and before secondo piatto.
