Mushroom Risotto

Risotto is a Northern Italian dish, consisting of rice cooked to a creamy consistency in a broth. The broth can be meat, fowl, seafood or vegetable based, depending mostly on what is available and what you are going to add to, or serve with, the risotto.  For example, if I am making a risotto to serve with grilled shrimp, I would use a fish stock as the broth, but if I am serving the risotto with chicken, I would use chicken broth.  Chefs have become very creative with what and how they add things to risotto.  Almost always there is some onion that has been sauted in butter or olive oil, but in this recipe I have added mushrooms as well. Asparagus or other vegetables are common in risotto too.  Finishing with butter and grated parmesan are standards as well.  A little lemon zest is often stirred in at the end.  Use your imagination !!

All risottos use the same basic process.  First you melt some butter in a pan and saute the onion.  Once the onion is soft you add the rice (typically arborio in the U.S.  Other varieties are sometimes used in Italy). You stir the rice into the butter and onion mixture to coat each grain of rice in a film of fat.  Next you add some dry wine, either white or red, again depending on the flavor profile you are trying to attain.  You stir and cook until all of the wine has been absorbed by the grain.  Then you turn the heat to medium high and begin to add very hot stock gradually, in small amounts, stirring constantly, only adding more stock when the previous amount has been absorbed into the rice.  When the stock has all been added and absorbed into the grain, you remove from the heat and stir in some pats of butter and typically some grated parmesan cheese.  The consistency should be creamy.  The grains of rice should still be distinct and have a resistance to the bite.(al dente)

I love risotto as an accompaniment to fish, seafood or chicken.  In this recipe I added mushrooms and served it with roasted chicken. I think the result was delightful.  

Risotto is not hard to make.  It is just a little time consuming.  It takes about thirty minutes of constant attention and stirring to get to the right consistency, but the result is worth it.  Here is the recipe as I made it tonight:

Ingredients:

2 Cups water
3 Cups low sodium chicken broth
5 TBSP butter, divided into two 2 TBSP portions and one 1 TBSP portion

6 Large baby bella mushrooms, chopped
1/2 Cup chopped green onion(reserve some of the green tops to use as garnish)
1 Cup uncooked Arborio rice 

1/3 Cup dry white wine (like chardonnay)
1/4 Cup grated Parmesan

Preparation:

Combine water and broth in a two quart saucepan and heat over medium heat until it comes to a simmer.  Reduce heat to low and keep warm.

Melt 1 TBSP butter in a small skillet and saute the mushrooms until tender.  Set aside.

Melt 2 TBSP butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until soft.  Add cooked mushrooms.  Add rice and stir for two to three minutes. Add wine and stir until absorbed. Increase heat to medium high; stir in one cup of the hot water and broth mixture.  Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, until liquid is absorbed.  Your mixture will look something like this before the liquid is absorbed.

Continue stirring and adding water broth mixture a cup at a time, allowing each cup to be absorbed before adding another. When you are ready to start adding the final cup of liquid, add it a little at a time and stop adding liquid when you think the consistency of the risotto is right.  It may take the whole last cup of liquid but maybe not.  Rice should be tender but al dente, and have a creamy texture. It should cling together when served and not have a ring of liquid on the plate around the rice.  This process will take approximately 25-30 minutes.  

Remove from heat and stir in final 2 TBSP butter and the Parmesan cheese.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  I served my risotto with roast chicken and asparagus as pictured here:

Serve with crusty bread and a crisp oaky chardonnay.  Enjoy!!!