Food - News
The One Dish Chefs Use To Judge The Quality Of An Italian Restaurant
By JESS JEZIOROWSKI
If you're in search of an authentic Italian restaurant experience, look for places with several courses on the menu and try to give each course a whirl. However, if you want just one authentic dish that also gives you insight into the quality of the restaurant and its chef, order this northern Italian specialty.
A solid litmus test for an Italian restaurant is the risotto, as it can give you a good idea of the chef's patience, attention to detail, and overall culinary prowess. The perfect risotto should be very creamy and never stodgy, with tender grains of Arborio rice cooked in broth until perfectly al dente before being seasoned well.
Risotto needs near-constant attention to be perfect; if you stir it too much, the rice will turn gummy, but not stirring enough leaves it stuck in the pan. Risotto is definitely a dish that requires practice and constant care, which is why it makes sense that chefs order it to judge each other's chops.