Why it works: Rice and saffron work together. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 629 recipes. Both carry eucalyptol, which smells eucalyptus, herbal. The science ↓
Risotto II
Serves 6Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the broth
Bring the stock to a simmer in a saucepan. Keep the temperature as high as possible throughout the cooking process, without letting the stock boil. The surface of the stock should just be moving a little.
Cook the rice
Sauté the onion until soft.
Add the rice and mix well until it is coated with the oil.
Add the wine and stir constantly over medium heat until it evaporates.
Add enough hot broth to cover the rice and continue to stir until the liquid is absorbed.
Keep adding hot broth, a little at a time, while constantly stirring until the rice is done.
In a small bowl, dissolve the saffron in a little hot broth and add it to the rice.
Finish and serve
Stir in the Parmesan cheese and season with salt to taste.
Serve immediately.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 7 of 8 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Rice | 1 cup cooked (158g) white | 206 |
| Chicken | 100g cooked | 165 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Parmesan Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 110 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Wine | 2 tbsp cooking wine (30ml) | 25 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Saffron | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
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.
-
Rice + saffrontop 2% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together629 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
-
Rice + chickentop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,769 recipes
Shared aroma: (e,e)-2,4-decadienal (fatty, deep fried).
-
Olive + ricetop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together4,994 recipes
Shared aroma: trans,trans-2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).
-
White wine + parmesan cheesetop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together697 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl isobutyrate (fruity, ethereal).
-
Olive + oniontop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together29,779 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Risotto rice
- Its starch releases gradually during stirring, creating the creamy texture of the dish.
- Chicken broth
- Supplies the liquid that the rice absorbs as it cooks, hydrating and flavouring the grains.
- White wine
- Adds acidity and aroma as it evaporates into the rice before the broth is added.
- Parmesan cheese
- Adds savoury flavour and richness, and helps make the finished rice creamy.
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Coats the rice grains, adding fat and flavour and helping them stay separate.
The step that matters
Keep the broth hot and add it gradually. Adding cold or boiling broth, or too much at once, disrupts the cooking rhythm. Hot broth added a little at a time with constant stirring releases starch slowly, giving a creamy result without overcooking the grains.
Swap the saffron
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (olive, onion, rice, white wine, chicken, parmesan cheese):
- Garlicfits better
- Thymefits better
- Basilfits about as well
- Saffronthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against olive, onion, rice, white wine, chicken, parmesan 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.
More risotto recipes
You might also like
Rice and Cheese Casserole23 recipes
Cheese Rice12 recipes
Chicken Broth257 recipes
Chicken Soup156 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.