Would it be alright to substitute white balsamic vinegar for wine in risotto?

Question

I'm really craving risotto but I don't have any wine in the house at the moment. I do have white balsamic vinegar, however.

Answer 1

Risotto generally refers to cooking short (or sometimes medium) grain rice, such as Arborio, in some kind of broth/stock until the base becomes creamy. Anything after that is strictly whatever flavors you prefer. There are classic additions past that - such as white wine, hard cheeses, mushrooms, etc - but the sky is the limit.

If it sounds good to you, take a small bit of the risotto base, mix a little of your desired ingredient in and the sample it. If it tastes good, expand on it! At worst you've messed up a small portion of the dish, at best you look like a culinary genius!

Would white balsamic vinegar taste good? Sound good to me!

Answer 2

Really, the wine step is just for the purpose of deglazing the pan after you sautee the rice in the butter, so the specific liquid doesn't matter very much. I use whiskey sometimes, depending on what kind of risotto I'm making (whiskey and scotch are both amazing for mushroom risotto).

One thing to consider: balsamic is quite high in sugar, so don't wait too long before you start adding broth, or it will stick to the pan.

Answer 3

It should work fine, and be quite good. I'd go easy on it, though, as it has more flavor and acid than white wine. Try cutting it 50/50 with water or some of your stock.

Answer 4

I have tried using dark balsamic and red wine vinegar at the deglazing stage and have gotten totally acceptable results. I'd agree with @adam to use half the amount called for of wine and stir continuously until the vinegar dissolves. White wine is always better though, in my opinion.