Risotto Alla Milanese

Risotto is very versatile. You can have it with meat, vegetables or seafood. You can serve it as an appetizer, a main course or a side dish. But for most people, the thought is that this classic Italian dish is hard to prepare.

So The Early Show teamed up with the folks at Williams-Sonoma and cookbook author Tori Ritchie to get easy recipes you can do at home. Check out basic tips Ritchie shares for the "Five-Minute Cooking School."

The following are her recipes for Risotto alla Milanese; Risotto with Artichokes; Risotto with Fresh Corn and Basil Oil; and Risotto Rustica with Prosciutto and Arugula.

Risotto alla Milanese

Unlike other rice dishes, risotto is stirred throughout the cooking process, while the liquid is added gradually. This produces a creamy sauce that binds the grains of rice together.

1/2 tsp. saffron threads, crushed
4 cups unsalted chicken stock
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 cup Italian Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Method:

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the saffron, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds. Add the stock, bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to low. Keep warm.
2. In a risotto pan or a large, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 2 Tbs. of the butter. When the butter has stopped foaming, add the onion and sauté, stirring frequently, until translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the rice and sauté, stirring constantly, until the grains are coated with butter and are slightly translucent, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the wine and cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid has been absorbed, 3 to 4 minutes. Begin adding the stock, 1 cup at a time, and continue cooking and stirring, adding more stock as needed, until the rice is tender but firm to the bite, 20 to 25 minutes more.
3. Add the 1/2 cup cheese and the remaining 2 Tbs. butter, and stir until the risotto is smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately, passing additional cheese at the table. Serves 4.

Artichokes have the reputation of being difficult to pair with wine. Sometimes, they make red wines taste bitter and whites seem oddly sweet. There are, however, two ways to work with them: overpower them with a tannic, herbal red or, better yet, choose a crisp, very dry Sauvignon Blanc. Dependable: grassy and herbal Sauvignon Blanc. Daring: leafy Cabernet Franc.

Juice of 1 lemon
4 to 6 large artichokes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 tsp. minced garlic
Pinch of dried oregano (optional)
1 cup water, or as needed
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving (optional)

Method:

1. Fill a large bowl three-fourths full of water and add the lemon juice. Working with one artichoke at a time, trim off the stem, flush with the bottom. If the stem has any tenderness, peel it lightly and cut into slices 1/3 inch thick. Drop the slices into the lemon water. Snap off all the leaves from the artichoke until only the tender heart remains. Cut lengthwise into quarters. Cut away the prickly choke and drop the artichoke pieces into the lemon water.
2. In a sauté pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until softened and translucent, about 8 minutes. Drain the artichokes and add to the pan along with the garlic, oregano and enough water to just cover the artichokes. Simmer, uncovered, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the stock to a simmer, then reduce the heat to maintain a very gentle simmer.
4. In a risotto pan or wide sauté pan over medium heat, melt 2 Tbs. of the butter. Add the rice and stir until opaque, about 4 minutes. Add the wine and stir until absorbed. Add a ladleful of the simmering stock and stir until the stock is absorbed. Reduce the heat to low and continue to add the stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring until absorbed before adding more. The rice is cooked when the rice grains are al dente (tender but firm to the bite) at the center and creamy on the outside, 20 to 25 minutes total. Stir in the artichoke mixture with the last addition of stock.
5. When the rice is done, stir in the remaining 4 Tbs. butter, season with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat. Sprinkle with the 1/4 cup cheese. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and serve. Pass additional cheese at the table. Serves 4.

Californians are so enamored of risotto that they have taken it in new directions, adding ingredients that would make most Italians shudder. But even Italians, who rarely eat sweet corn, would appreciate this variation. Offer it as a starter before a shrimp or salmon main course or serve it in smaller portions as a side dish.

2 or 3 ears of yellow corn, husks and silk removed
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 cup thinly sliced leeks, white and light green portions, rinsed well
2 cups chicken stock
3 cups water
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 Tbs. thinly sliced fresh chives
4 Tbs. store-bought basil olive oil

Method

1. Holding each ear of corn by its pointed end and steadying its stalk end on a cutting board, cut down along the ear with a sharp knife to strip off the kernels, turning the ear with each cut. You will need 1 1/2 cups corn kernels. Set aside.
2. In a risotto pan or saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the leeks and stir to coat with the butter. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until wilted and soft, about 5 minutes. Check occasionally to make sure they are not burning.
3. Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium heat, combine the stock and water. Adjust the heat to keep the liquid hot but not simmering.
4. Increase the heat under the leeks to medium, add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, until the rice is hot throughout, about 3 minutes. Begin adding the hot liquid 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and adding more liquid only when the previous addition has been absorbed. After 10 minutes, stir in the corn. It should take about 20 minutes for the rice to absorb all the liquid and become al dente (tender but firm to the bite). The risotto should be creamy, neither soupy nor stiff. If you need more liquid, use boiling water. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Remove from the heat and stir in the chives and 2 Tbs. of the basil oil. Divide the risotto among warmed bowls. Top with the remaining 2 Tbs. basil oil, dividing evenly. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Neither smoked nor cooked, prosciutto is the rear leg of a pig that has been seasoned, salt-cured and then air-dried to make a prized Italian ham. Every region makes its own version, but the two most famous are prosciutto di Parma and prosciutto di San Daniele. Here, thinly sliced prosciutto provides a savory contrast to the peppery arugula and creamy risotto. Any variety of prosciutto will work well in this recipe.

7 to 8 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
3 cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice
1 cup dry white wine, at room temperature
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
6 large, thin slices prosciutto
1 bunch arugula, stemmed
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for serving

Method

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the stock to a gentle simmer and maintain over low heat.
2. In a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the rice and stir until each grain is well coated with oil and translucent with a white dot in the center, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and stir until it is completely absorbed.
3. Add the simmering stock a ladleful at a time, stirring frequently after each addition. Wait until the stock is almost completely absorbed (but the rice is never dry on top) before adding the next ladleful. Reserve 1/4 cup stock to add at the end.
4. When the rice is tender to the bite but slightly firm in the center and looks creamy, after about 20 minutes, remove from the heat and stir in the butter and the reserved 1/4 cup stock. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Line warmed shallow individual bowls with prosciutto slices. Top with the risotto. Make a well in the risotto and fill with the arugula, tearing large leaves into bite-size pieces. Using a vegetable peeler, shave paper-thin slices of cheese over the top. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series, Risotto, by Pamela Sheldon Johns (Simon & Schuster, 2002 ).