Traditional culinary school teaches you that risotto is a labor of love. You stand by the stove for 45 minutes, gently ladling hot broth, stirring slowly, meditating on the nature of rice. It's a beautiful, romantic process.

It's also completely impractical for a Wednesday night when you're starving.

I set out to see if I could force risotto to bend to my will. I wanted it done in 15 minutes. The purists will scream. The Italians will ban me from entering the country. But my aggressive, high-heat method works, and the result is indistinguishable from the slow-stirred stuff.

The Dump and Stir Method

The secret to fast risotto is violence. Instead of a gentle simmer, we are going to boil the absolute life out of this rice. High heat, constant aggressive agitation to smash the grains against each other to release the starch, and using less liquid than traditional recipes call for because it won't have 45 minutes to evaporate.

The Setup

  • 1 Cup Arborio Rice: Do not wash it. I will find out. You need the starch on the outside.
  • 3 Cups Hot Chicken Stock: It must be hot. If you pour cold stock into hot rice, you drop the temperature of the pan and ruin the timing. Microwave it.
  • 1/2 Cup Dry White Wine: Use something you'd actually drink. Don't use "cooking wine."
  • 2 tbsp Butter: Cold.
  • 1/2 Cup Parmesan: Grated off a block.
  • 1/2 Onion: Diced incredibly fine.

The 15-Minute Sprint

  1. Heat a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add a splash of olive oil and sauté the finely diced onion for 2 minutes until soft.
  2. Dump in the dry Arborio rice. Toast it for 1 minute until the edges turn slightly translucent. It should smell nutty.
  3. Pour in the white wine. It will sizzle violently. Stir until the pan is almost dry. This takes about 30 seconds.
  4. Here's the controversial part: Dump almost ALL the hot stock into the pan at once. Leave maybe half a cup in reserve.
  5. Turn the heat up to high. Bring it to a rolling, aggressive boil.
  6. Now, stir. Don't be gentle. Whip it around the pan. You are actively trying to beat the starch out of the rice. Keep it at a hard boil for 10 minutes.
  7. Taste a grain. It should have a slight bite in the center. If it's too dry, add the reserve stock.
  8. Pull the pan completely off the heat. Drop in the cold butter and the parmesan. Whip it furiously for 60 seconds until the sauce becomes a creamy emulsion.

Serve it on a flat plate, bang the bottom of the plate to make it spread out evenly, and eat it instantly. Risotto waits for no one.