Basic Chicken Risotto

Evaluation
1. Describe the sensory properties (flavour, texture, aroma and appearance) of your risotto.
The risotto itself was soft and heavily tasted of the onion and the chicken stock flavours that it was absorbing during the cooking process. I felt it was a little too salty but that was balanced out well with the starchiness of the risotto and the chicken which was tight and chewy. No effort was really put into the presentation so honestly, it looked bland.
2. Why are the onion and capsicum sauteed before the rice is added?
We did not use capsicum but the onion is sauteed first to flavour the oil before the risotto is added for cooking. This gives the risotto some flavour when it absorbs the oil.
3. Explain why it is important to barely simmer the risotto during the cooking process, rather than boiling quickly.
It is important to not boil the risotto in the chicken stock while cooking because if we did boil it, the risotto would not cook thoroughly and the end result would be tough grains that are hard and unpleasant to eat. Simmering allows it to absorb the stock easier while still keeping it heated, albeit not too much, resulting in soft and puffy grains.
4. List the important health and safety steps to follow when preparing a risotto.
-Wash hands before and after making contact with raw chicken meat
-Watch the knife when cutting ingredients
-Don't use the same equipment for different ingredients to avoid contamination
-Don't leave the stove unattended when on
5. Which aspect of the production did you find most challenging? Why?
The most challenging aspect was cooking the risotto since it seemed to take forever to soak up the chicken stock.