Pour the chicken broth into a 2-quart saucepan and bring it to a simmer over low heat. Make sure to have a ladle nearby.Be sure to keep the broth at a gentle simmer.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter and the olive oil over medium heat in a deep-sided 10-inch skillet.
When the butter has melted, add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally for 1 minute.
Add the chopped onions, garlic, and salt and cook for another minute, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the rice. Let the oils coat the grains and continue to toast the rice, frequently stirring for about 2 minutes.
Add the wine to the pan and simmer until the liquid has almost evaporated, stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes.
Add ¼ cup of the broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes.
Continue to add broth to the pan, ¼ cup at a time, and stir until absorbed. Continue this process until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
Stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter and parmesan cheese.
Remove from the heat, taste, and season with additional salt, if desired. Serve immediately.
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Notes
Expert Tips
Gather your ingredients:Make sure to have all of your ingredients handy. When you're in the middle of making risotto you don't want to have to search for an ingredient.
Be patient: Risotto requires patience and careful attention. It's crucial to stir the risotto constantly to prevent the grains from sticking together. This constant stirring also encourages the starches to release from the rice while keeping the grains separate.
Use warm broth: Adding cold broth to a hot pan will cool the rice down and slow down the cooking process. Keep the broth at a simmer in a small pot so everything stays hot and cooks evenly.
Don't add the broth all at once:It may be tempting to just pour all of the broth in at one time. Do not do this, you will just be boiling rice. By slowly adding the broth, you allow the rice to simmer and create the signature creamy sauce. Wait until the rice absorbs all of the broth before adding more.
Cook until the rice is al dente: Just like pasta, the rice should be al dente - tender but with a slight bite to it. Risotto should not be mushy.
Consider adding vegetables: If you want to add vegetables to your risotto, cook the vegetables separately before adding them in.
Consider adding protein: Make a lovely shrimp risotto by adding cooked shrimp to the top. I like cooking the shrimp in butter and garlic as shown in our Shrimp Tacos recipe.