Name: Beer Cheese Risotto
Ingredients: ½ large onion , diced; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 cup uncooked arborio rice; 1½ cups hot vegetable stock (approximate); ½ cup beer; ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese; ¼ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (to taste)

Why it works: Parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 592 recipes. Both carry ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, which smells fruity, apple. The science ↓

Beer Cheese Risotto

Timeabout twenty minutes

Ingredients

½ large onion , diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup uncooked arborio rice
1½ cups hot vegetable stock (approximate)
½ cup beer
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (to taste)

Directions

Prepare

Heat the stock to near boiling and keep it hot.
Sweat the onion in a heavy, medium saucepan with olive oil and a generous pinch of salt.
When the onions are soft and transparent, add the rice and sauté until each grain is coated.

Cook the risotto

Add the beer and heat to a simmer, stirring constantly.
When the beer is mostly absorbed, add about ⅓ to ½ cup of hot stock, stirring constantly while simmering.
Repeat this process for about twenty minutes, until most of the stock is consumed and the rice is tender.

Finish with cheese

Remove from heat, add the Parmesan cheese and stir to incorporate.
Let the cheese melt, then add the cheddar and stir to combine.
If a cheesier rice is desired, add more cheese.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

635Calories

23 gProtein

31 gFat

60 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 6 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Rice	1 cup cooked (158g) white	206
Olive Oil	1 tbsp (14g)	119
Cheddar Cheese	1 oz (28g)	113
Parmesan Cheese	1 oz (28g)	110
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Beer	1/4 cup (60ml) for cooking	43

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Wikibooks Cookbook.

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Parmesan cheese + cheddar cheesetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together592 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
Olive + ricetop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together4,994 recipes

Shared aroma: trans,trans-2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).
Beer + cheddar cheesetop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together148 recipes

Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
Onion + olivetop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together29,779 recipes

Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Rice + parmesan cheesetop 9% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together879 recipes

Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Arborio rice: Its starch releases gradually during stirring, giving the risotto a creamy, thick texture.
Vegetable stock: Provides the liquid that the rice absorbs as it cooks, so the grains become tender.
Parmesan cheese: Melts into the hot rice, adding savory flavor and helping create a creamy body.
Sharp cheddar cheese: Adds sharp, savory flavor and extra richness as it melts into the rice.
Beer: Adds malty flavor and acidity as it is absorbed into the rice.

The step that matters

Adding stock gradually while stirring. Adding liquid in small amounts and stirring releases starch from the rice surface, which creates the creamy texture. Adding too much liquid at once or stopping the stirring can leave the rice soupy or unevenly cooked.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (olive, rice, beer, parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese):

Tomatofits better
Capsicumfits better
Potatofits better
Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against olive, rice, beer, parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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Beer Cheese Risotto