Organic Carnaroli Risotto Rice 500g Seggiano details and description

Organic Risotto Rice from five generations of Vercelli rice growers The Grange Vercellesi of the fertile Po Valley, in northern Italy, are the historical centre of European rice production. Seggiano offers a selection of the highest quality speciality Italian rices cultivated by three long established Vercelli rice producing families, with their own in house rice husking facility.

Carnaroli is considered by Italians to be the kind of rices and the supreme risotto rice, as this variety absorbs liquid evenly and right to the centre of the grain, giving the rice a uniform, light consistency and a creamy flavour, without becoming sticky.

Organic production means that the grain is cultivated without herbicides and stored in atmospherically controlled conditions. The perfection of this organic arborio rice lies with the traditional stone husking which guarantees the lightest shelling, thus maintaining the nutrients contained in the outermost layer of each grain intact. The presence of these nutrients is critical to the taste and texture of the cooked rice.

Once husked, the rice grains are graded according to colour, quality and size. Finally, batch production and vacuum packaging guarantee that the highest quality product reaches your table.

Risotto recipe:

In a large flat-bottomed pan, heat some extra virgin olive oil and add a finely chopped onion. Gently cook until the onion is transparent and then add a clove of finely chopped garlic to cook for a further minute. Stir in 200g rice until all the grains are coated with the oil. Lightly toast the rice for a few minutes, stirring, as the rice grains turn from opaque to slightly transparent. Add a half cup of white wine and cook gently until all the liquid has been absorbed. Then gradually add between 70ml and 1000ml of hot liquid stock, until the rice is cooked and all the liquid has been absorbed. At this point remove the pan from the heat, add a knob of butter and stir in some finely grated parmesan cheese. Cover and leave for a few minutes before serving.

This is the moment of mantecatura, when the risotto develops its classic rich, creamy flavour and texture. This basic risotto recipe can be varied with any choice of ingredients, which should be gently fried together with the onion and garlic, before adding the rice. Likewise, the stock liquid can be vegetable, fish or chicken based.