Why, when making risotto, do you need to add the liquid a little bit at a time?

Question

I was making risotto the other night (following a recipe), and started wondering why I had to add a scoop of broth, stir until it is absorbed, then add another scoop, and repeat until done. Why not just add all the broth at once? Does exposure to air make a difference in the “creaminess” of the final product? Does some starch only get released under certain conditions?

In: Chemistry

Answer 1

You don’t. Good old Kenji Lopez-Alt did a test and found that the whole slow stock and stirring thing is unnecessary. See here:

https://www.seriouseats.com/2011/10/the-food-lab-the-science-of-risotto.html

You can bet your ass restaurants aren’t standing over pots of risotto for half an hour every time someone orders it – they have various different half-done and no-stir versions that they just bring to a finished state quickly.