Well known chef Stefano Manfredi tells us that he prefers to cook with carnaroli rice. His secret to a good risotto is time, hence his choice to use carnaroli because it sucks up more stock and stays al dente longer. The more stock the rice absorbs, the richer and creamier the result will be. His second choice is vialone nano rice because the smaller grain takes less time to cook while still remaining creamy, which makes it good if you're in a hurry.

Stefano was born close to Milan and loves to make the classics that come from this region. Around Milan and in close-by Piedmont and Lombardy you can find the rice growing country where risotto was born. There is little seafood used here, so you will find that classic risottos are made with mushrooms, truffles and meats. The classic Risotto Milanese, made using saffron, is from his home region.

The two risottos that Steve likes to make the most are Porcini and Milanese.

Sean Connolly from Astral restaurant prefers a soupier texture and a less creamy result, and generally likes to use vialone nano. His favourite risotto at the moment is Risotto Nero, made with squid ink. This can be served with barbequed octopus and smokey roast tomatoes, or with a beautiful piece of pan-fried fish and tiny capers. It's also wonderful stuffed into some cuttlefish and served with a tomato and saffron sauce.