Risotto rice

[Flosshilde]

Just had a risotto which I made using Carnaroli rice from Asda - much creamier than the standard Arborio rice. Looking on the web I see it's available from Tesco - a bit more accessible than our nearest Asda (assuming that the little Tescos stock it).

[MrGongGong]

I hope you are going to tweet this to Radio 3 in the morning

(Carnaroli is a fine rice indeed)

[Beef Oven!]

I've never taken to the more sticky, gooey, starchy carnaroli. Arborio is perfect.

[Flosshilde]

Ah well, I like the runnier risotto, like what I get in Italy. Arborio always ends up too stodgy, however much liquid I add. Apparently most of Italy uses carnaroli, except the Veneto (which presumably prefers arborio).

[Beef Oven!]

Ah well, I like the runnier risotto, like what I get in Italy. Arborio always ends up too stodgy, however much liquid I add. Apparently most of Italy uses carnaroli, except the Veneto (which presumably prefers arborio).

Did you lift that directly out of finecooking.com, or do you have another source?

Speaking principally about the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of Italy, Arborio rice is the variety I've had most in the visits that I've made there down the years. My friend from the other side of Italy, the Liguria region, always uses arborio rice and so does his mamma.

[Flosshilde]

I learnt it from finecooking.com - the bit in brackets is my own supposition.

[jean]

... Apparently most of Italy uses carnaroli, except the Veneto (which presumably prefers arborio).

When I lived in the Veneto, we preferred Vialone Nano. I see you can get it in Waitrose.

[Karafan]

Well, I've just added a packet to the online weekly Asda basket - thanks for the tip, Flosshilde x

[Flosshilde]

you're very welcome

[Beef Oven!]

When I lived in the Veneto, we preferred Vialone Nano. I see you can get it in Waitrose.

I have 250g of arborio left and when I've used it up, I'll try vialone nano, for a change. Maybe it will be more to my taste than carnaroli.

[gurnemanz]

Ah well, I like the runnier risotto, like what I get in Italy. Arborio always ends up too stodgy, however much liquid I add. Apparently most of Italy uses carnaroli, except the Veneto (which presumably prefers arborio).

We can usually get arborio to achieve some level of runniness, which I also prefer, but I'll definitely try carnaroli.

[Anna]

I've a packet of Vialone Nano as yet unopened and untried in the cupboard (it was on offer) generally it's just arborio that I use.
Not sure if anyone else does this but I also use arborio where I want a 'sticky' rice with a Thai curry - usually cooked half coconut milk half water.

[Maclintick]

I've a packet of Vialone Nano as yet unopened and untried in the cupboard (it was on offer) generally it's just arborio that I use.
Not sure if anyone else does this but I also use arborio where I want a 'sticky' rice with a Thai curry - usually cooked half coconut milk half water.

Not come across Vialone Nano, but scored a few domestic brownie-points when Audrey scoffed my mushroom risotto made with Sainsbury's own-brand Carnaroli in post-Christmas "anything-but-turkey" mode. I concede this isn't a gilt-edged recommendation, but to my fairly undiscerning palate the results were similar to the Arborio version I usually make, & may have been attributable to over-enthusiastic sousing of the grains in Veneto Pinot Grigio....if this is possible...

Thanks for the Arborio/Thai fusion tip, Anna !

[Barbirollians]

Vialone Nano as I recall was particularly recommended for seafood risotto - cannot remember why !