Risotto is a rich and flavourful dish traditionally made with Italian Arborio rice, which is known its creamy consistency when it’s cooked and steadily stirred. Traditionalists may frown any substitutions for Arborio rice, but there is a scientific explanation for why our oats work so well in this dish.
Ready for some science? Here we go!
Starch is made up of two components: amylose and amylopectin. For us, the key difference between this two is that amylose is not water-soluble and amylopectin is, and it gets quite gummy about it, too.
Jasmine and long-grain rice make poor Arborio substitues because they never become creamy. That’s because the grains retain their shape, thanks to the relatively high amount of amylose compared to amylopectin. They basically don’t dissolve.
Grains with a higher relative amylopectin content, however, can become very creamy indeed. Arborio rice is one example, and grains of glutinous rice, which contains almost 100% amylopectin, can go beyond creamy and lose their form entirely!
How does this relate to oats? Oats, hull-less oats particularly, also contain a significant amount of amylopectin. That’s one reason they work well as a substitute in this recipe: they get nice and creamy (though not as creamy as Arborio rice, don’t wear yourself out stirring!).
The other reason they work so well is that they taste fantastic.
We hope you enjoy this variation on a global classic.
Feeds 2-3 people as a main, more as a side.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped or finely sliced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp dried thyme, sage, or basil
- 200 g cremini or other fresh mushrooms, sliced, or 40 g dried mushrooms
- 1 cup rolled or steel-crimped oats
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 2 cups chicken, beef, or vegetable broth
- 50 g Parmesan or other cheese
- salt & pepper to taste
- parsley to garnish
Instructions
If using dried mushrooms, soak them in 1 1/2 cups of hot water until soft (time depends on the kind of mushroom), then chop or slice them.
Heat a medium-sized pot over medium-low heat. Melt butter with olive oil, then add onion and sautée until transparent and tender.
Push onions to the side and in a clear area of the pan, cook chopped garlic and herbs in an optional bit of extra oil or butter and stir until garlic is very fragrant but not beginning to brown.
Add sliced mushrooms and continue to sauté. If you rehydrated dried mushrooms, add mushroom soaking water to the stock.
When mushrooms are cooked (fresh will take longer than dried), add oats and stir to coat with the mixture.
Add white wine, then stir and cook until the liquid is absorbed.
Continue to stir. Add 1 1/2 cups of hot stock, and stir until it’s absorbed before adding more, 1/4 cup at a time. The mixture should simmer gently; adjust cooking temperature if necessary. You can alternate stirring with covering-and-steaming-on-very-low.
You may have stock remaining when you’re done, especially if you added the liquid from soaking dried mushrooms. You can discard this stock, or save it for another cooking project.
When the consistency and oats’ tenderness is to your liking, add cheese, salt (only if necessary: taste after adding the cheese! Nobody likes too-salty risotto!), and pepper.
Serve garnished with Parmesan cheese, pretty chopped parsley, and one more grind of black pepper for good luck.
Tips
- Regular store-bought rolled oats will not work for this recipe.
- Risotto is best in warmed bowls, especially on cold days. The fastest way to heat bowls is to fill them with hot water shortly before the meal is ready. When it’s time to eat, pour the water out, dry the dishes, and serve the meal. That extra warmth a small detail that makes a big difference.
Risotto Variations
There are as many kinds of risotto as there are cooks who make it. Have your own favourite risotto recipe? Try substituting oats and see how it goes!