The food lab better home cooking through science ( PDFDrive ) 929

First question: Which type of rice makes the best risotto? Rice contains two molecules that make up its starch content, amylase and amylopectin Generally speaking, rices with a higher proportion of amylopectin to amylase will tend to soften more completely and thicken their sauce more strongly All risottos start with a short- to medium-grain form of rice high in amylopectin It’s the exact ratio of amylase to amylopectin that determines the final texture of your rice and sauce There are dozens of cultivars of short-grained rice used in Italy, but here in the United States, you’re likely to see only four types that’ll work for risotto: From left: Bomba, Arborio, and Vailone Nano • Bomba is a Spanish rice used primarily for making creamy paellas It’s extremely short-grained, with a moderate level of amylopectin, and it makes a very fine risotto, despite the fact that it comes from the wrong country • Arborio is the most common risotto rice of choice It’s short-grained with almost zero amylose It has a tendency to create a very thick sauce and can very easily be overcooked to the point of mush because of its lack of structure Even perfectly cooked Arborio will tend to be relatively soft • Carnaroli and Vialone Nano are not quite as available as Arborio, but they are my favorite varieties of rice for risotto They strike a good balance between creaminess and intact texture If you can find one of these, use it You may see the words fino or superfino written on the packages of imported rices While it’d be nice to imagine some Italian committee deciding exactly how fine a ... of rice for risotto They strike a good balance between creaminess and intact texture If you can find one of these, use it You may see the words fino or superfino written on the packages of imported... to the point of mush because of its lack of structure Even perfectly cooked Arborio will tend to be relatively soft • Carnaroli and Vialone Nano are not quite as available as Arborio, but they... moderate level of amylopectin, and it makes a very fine risotto, despite the fact that it comes from the wrong country • Arborio is the most common risotto rice of choice It’s short-grained with almost zero amylose