What’s for dinner tonight? If you are anything like Kev, you are probably craving something simple and delicious. The other night, he made a mouth-watering risotto that took no time at all.

First off, let’s start with the basics:

• arborio rice
• stock (any kind, but he used chicken)
• dried mushrooms (also used the liquid he soaked them in, if you know what I mean)
• pecorino
• garlic
• onion
• white wine
• tiny bit of cream
• s + p
• chicken, totally optional

Fry off the garlic and onion in butter. Once translucent, add the rice in order to toast it. Throw in a dash of white wine and cook that off. Once it’s been reduced, you can start adding your stock.

The key to risotto is to gradually add the stock and mushroom liquid to the rice, which has been previously toasted in butter. It takes about 15-20 minutes to slow-cook the rice this way. Keep in mind that you want it to be on a medium-high heat, constantly stirring it. You want the rice “agitated”, meaning you are almost over-working it in order to thicken it (but not too much). The sign of a good risotto is it still flows on the plate. You will have to watch and stir the rice the whole time, but it’s totally worth it.

Once the rice is cooked, add the pecorino, the cream, mushrooms and seasoning, è tutto.

You can grill up a chicken breast or keep it bare. Whichever way you dress it, you will be delighted.