Having been a while since I made risotto, doing a 1 and 1/2 batch of the recipe turned out to be a bit ambitious, and take much longer than the recipe suggested (even if you 1 1/2 times the cooking time). Nonetheless, it turned out a success.
Important to chop everything ahead of time. For dinner parties, critical that the parsley gets picked ahead of time even if you chop it at the last second. But the onion and the mushrooms should be finished. The garlic should be peeled, even if broken and chopped at the time of the meal.
Some things I discovered. First, the butter in which you cook the onions and mushrooms disappears quite quickly. No reason to be alarmed. Let the onions soften and the mushrooms reduce. Second, have the wine ready at its appropriate stage. Quite important not to burn the garlic. Third, KEEP STIRRING. This labor intensive dish works if one is willing to perpetually keep the rice in contact with the liquid.
Getting the risotto cooked properly is difficult. The best method is to keep tasting it, when the broth you are adding gets low. The grain will go from tough to soft quite quickly. It was still crunchy one minute, then after one more addition of liquid, was appropriately al dente. Get a feel for it. Possibly most importantly, keep some water in the kettle and warm it in the last stages. You may need some additional water (I did), and it won't do to add it cold.
Finally, don't be shy on the salt. I would add a few (start with three) pinches with the butter and cheese and parsley. Then start adding to taste.
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