Mushroom Risotto
Mushroom risotto – a savory Italian delight – risotto is a classic Italian dish that has been enjoyed for centuries. It is a creamy and flavourful rice-based dish that is typically made with Arborio rice, which is a short-grain rice that is high in starch and creates a creamy texture when cooked. One of the most popular variations of risotto is mushroom risotto, which combines the nutty and earthy flavour of mushrooms with the creamy richness of the rice.
Risotto has been a staple in Italian cuisine for centuries, with the first recorded recipe dating back to the 16th century. The dish originated in northern Italy, specifically in the regions of Lombardy and Piedmont. The word “risotto” is derived from the Italian word “riso,” which means rice. The dish was initially made with humble ingredients such as onions, broth, and rice, but it has evolved over the years to include various meats, vegetables, and seafood.
The key ingredient in mushroom risotto is, of course, mushrooms. The most commonly used mushrooms in the dish are porcini, shiitake, and cremini mushrooms. Other ingredients include white wine, onion, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and of course, Arborio rice. The dish is typically prepared by sautéing the mushrooms in butter until they are tender and golden and then adding the onion and garlic. The rice is then added and cooked in the mixture until it is coated with the oil and butter.
One of the most important aspects of cooking risotto is the technique. Risotto is cooked by gradually adding hot broth to the rice and stirring until the rice absorbs the liquid. Until recently it was thought that you must stir the rice CONSTANTLY to achieve the creamy texture of the risotto, this has been debunked by chefs online and they found it still ends up creamy, even if you stir only every couple of minutes. The rice should be cooked until it is tender but still has a slight bite to it.
There are many variations of mushroom risotto that can be made by adding different ingredients. For example, some recipes include peas, while others use truffle oil for added richness. Another variation is to use wild mushrooms such as chanterelles or morels, which have a strong, earthy flavour that pairs well with the creamy rice.
Mushroom Risotto
Equipment
- 1 large 30cm frypan or a dutch oven
Ingredients
- 800 grams fresh mushrooms sliced, whatever kind you like
- 100 grams butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 4 cloves of garlic finely minced
- 300 grams arborio rice
- 2 French shallots finely minced
- 125 ml white wine
- 4 cups /1 litre of chicken stock can sub veg stock to make meal vegetarian
- 1 cup /250mL of beef stock can sub veg stock to make meal vegetarian
- 125 mL cream
- 50 grams parmesan finely grated (Note 1)
Instructions
- In your cooking vessel, over high heat, add butter and all of the mushrooms, salt, pepper and thyme (this will likely highly fill your pan). Stir to evenly distribute the melting butter. Keep stirring every couple of minutes.This process will take a lot of time, first the mushroom will expel all of their water, then the water must evaporate, and then the mushroom will begin to brown in the butter fat. Just keep stirring every 2 minutes or so until they are all nice and golden brown, this took me around 20 minutes.
- Add French shallot and garlic to the pan and cook for about 3-4 minutes.
- Next add the arborio rice to the pan, stir well so that every grain of rice is coated in the mushroom liquids.
- Add wine, cook until it is almost completely gone.
- Add stock, 1 cup at a time. Make sure you stir every 2 minutes, constant stirring is not required.
- Once all the stock is added and absorbed, test rice, if done, continue to step 7, if not, add 1/2 cup of water at a time to the rice, checking if rice is done after the water has been absorbed. Continue this, as needed, until rice is cooked.
- Add cream and parmesan to the pan. Stir to combine. Serve.