SUPERFAST RISOTTO

Risotto, that vaunted rice dish, is always a nightmare of stirring. So much time at the stove! But here are two techniques that cut down on the stirring and the grief.

The first uses a pressure cooker. To complete the task successfully, you’ll need to know the amount of pressure your pot uses for its high setting. And you’ll need to ignore the presets on an electric machine to cook the risotto on high for the timings given.

If you don’t have a pressure cooker, try the second technique: It uses the microwave and is a little more intense, though not much more. The recipes are calibrated for a 950-watt microwave oven. A 1200-watt oven will get the job done in about 10 minutes.

These recipes are presented somewhat like quirky road maps—meaning the ingredient lists come first, then there are the techniques: You’ll start with a fat like butter or olive oil, then add aromatics like onions or shallots. After that, you’ll add rice, a booster liquid of some sort (wine, juice), and then broth, a vegetable (or two), and seasonings. At that point, you’re minutes away from risotto.

The hope is that you’ll treat these as templates and create your own signature version. Just treat the rice and total liquid amounts as sacred.