Patience and broth — the secret to a real risotto
In Italy they say: "un risotto si fa con calma" — you make risotto slowly and patiently. No step can be skipped, the heat must never be too high, and above all: good broth. Because a risotto is literally only as good as its broth. If you use water or a stock cube, your risotto will taste like water or a stock cube. If you use real bone broth, you get that full, creamy flavour that Italian mothers have recognised instinctively for generations.
This recipe is the foundation. Once you have mastered the technique, you can vary it endlessly — with pumpkin in autumn, asparagus in spring, or classically with mushrooms and Parmesan.
Why HANT bone broth?
Our bone broth is simmered for 32 hours from halal beef bones with no additives. The natural collagen and gelatin give your risotto that characteristic cremoso — that velvety, glossy texture — without the need for extra cream or butter. Pure flavour, with no shortcuts.
The marrow fat (tallow) or olive oil in which you sauté the onion forms the flavour base of the entire dish. Olive oil gives a lighter, fresher risotto, while marrow fat makes it fuller and richer.
Ingredients (serves 2)
- 200 g risotto rice (Arborio or Carnaroli)
- 1 shallot or small onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp HANT olive oil or 1 tsp HANT marrow fat
- 4 to 6 tbsp HANT bone broth (2–3 tbsp per person)
- 600 ml warm water
- A knob of butter
- Optional: grated Parmesan
- Optional: sautéed vegetables (peas, mushrooms, spinach)
- Pepper and salt
Method
- Heat the bone broth together with the water in a saucepan and keep it warm over low heat.
- Sauté the finely chopped shallot or onion in HANT olive oil or a teaspoon of HANT marrow fat until soft and translucent — do not let it colour.
- Add the uncooked risotto rice and stir until the grains are translucent (1–2 minutes). This is called tostatura and is essential for the right texture.
- Add a ladleful of warm broth and stir until almost all the liquid has been absorbed.
- Repeat this process until the rice is cooked and creamy — about 18 to 20 minutes. Keep stirring gently; this makes the risotto silky smooth.
- Finish with a drizzle of HANT olive oil or a knob of butter. Stir well — this is called mantecatura and gives it that final gloss.
- Optional: add grated Parmesan and sautéed vegetables such as peas, mushrooms or spinach.
Tips & variations
- Pumpkin risotto — add a handful of sautéed pumpkin cubes in step 4 and finish with sage.
- Mushroom risotto — fry finely sliced mushrooms separately in marrow fat and stir them in at the end.
- Lemon risotto — finish with a little lemon zest and olive oil for a fresh summer dish.
- For children — finish more gently and leave out the Parmesan if they are sensitive to salt.
Storage
Risotto is best eaten immediately — that is what it is made for. Still have some left? Store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days in a sealed container. Reheat it with a splash of extra broth so it becomes creamy again. Tip: turn the leftovers into small balls (arancini), coat them and fry until crisp — a second life for your risotto.
Did you make it?
Tag us on Instagram @hant.be or send your photo to hello@hant.be — we would absolutely love to see it.