Mushroom Risotto
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Updated, from the recipe archives.
Risotto is one of those dishes that we love to eat, but neither my father nor mother have the patience to make often. It takes about 20 minutes of careful watching and every few minutes adding a half cup of hot stock to the rice, as the rice slowly absorbs the liquid it's in. For this mushroom risotto, mushrooms are sautéed first, then cooked in cognac (or vermouth) and cream. Arborio rice is cooked slowly with stock and when done, the mushroom cream mixture is stirred in, along with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese. (Hungry yet?) I actually don't mind watching over risotto, it's easy enough to do, and you can prepare other things while keeping the corner of your eye on the risotto. The result is so worth the effort.
Mushroom Risotto Recipe
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Preparation time: 40 minutes. The recipe calls for arborio rice, an Italian-grown rice that is high in starch, with grains that are shorter and fatter than any other rice. The high starch content of aborio rice yields a creamy texture when cooked, so it is traditionally used for risotto.
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 2 cups flavorful mushrooms such as shiitake, chanterelle, or oyster mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and cut into half inch to inch pieces
- 2/3 cup cognac, vermouth, or dry white wine
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 7 cups chicken stock* (use vegetable stock for vegetarian option)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup of peeled and minced shallots (OR 1/3 cup of yellow or white onion, finely chopped)
- 1 3/4 cups arborio rice
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
*If cooking gluten-free, use homemade stock or gluten-free packaged stock.
Method
1 Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté about 5 minutes (if using chanterelles, dry sauté first for a minute or two and let the mushrooms cook in their own juices before adding the butter). Add cognac, bring to a boil, and reduce liquid by half, about 3-4 minutes. Lower heat to medium, add cream, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and set aside.
2 Bring stock to a simmer in a saucepan.
3 In a deep, heavy, medium sized saucepan, heat oil and remaining butter on medium low. Add shallots or onions and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add rice and stir to coat with butter and oil. Add simmering stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring enough to keep the rice from sticking to the edges of the pan. Wait until the stock is almost completely absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup. This process will take about 20 minutes. The rice should be just cooked and slightly chewy.
4 Stir in the mushroom mixture and the Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve garnished with parsley.
Serves 6.
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My husband and I made this for the first time tonight and it was incredible. As a main dish it was definitely enough for 4 (or more people) and even more if you serve it as a side dish. It would also be great with asparagus in addition to the mushrooms. Thanks for the great recipe!