Mushroom Risotto
I made one of my favorite dishes tonight - risotto. This one was a very simple portabella mushroom risotto that happened to come out extra creamy and delicious. It's very easy to make fantastic risotto; it just takes a bit of time.
Ingredients:
2 cups risotto (arborio rice)
5-6 cups chicken stock
1/2-1 cup white wine
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup butter
6 cloves garlic (minced)
1 large shallot (minced)
1-2 cups portabella mushrooms (sliced)
Parmesan or pecorino romano cheese (grated)
Italian herb mix (oregano, thyme, rosemary, basil, parsley)
Salt & pepper to taste
Steps:
- Sauté the shallots and garlic for a couple minutes in the oil & butter over med high heat.
- Add the risotto. Stir well to coat all the grains. Cook until each grain has a "pearl" or white center within the translucent outer layer - about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the 'shrooms. Cook for another minute or so to soften.
- Add the wine and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring well.
- Add the entirety of the chicken stock and reduce heat to low. Add seasonings. Simmer, stirring occasionally for about 25-30 minutes, or until the risotto has become thick and creamy (should fall off the spoon reluctantly but not stick to it). In the past I have gradually added the stock after bringing the whole thing up to a boil but I think adding all the liquid first and simmering on low heat for the entirety of the cooking resulted in a creamier risotto and better texture (although I also used a new brand of risotto this time. One would think rice is rice but who knows?)
- Make sure to taste after about 20 minutes or if it looks like most of the liquid has been absorbed. The individual grains should have a slight bite to them (al dente) but be surrounded in creamy goodness.
- Add the bulk of the cheese at this point. This will help with the creaminess.
- Serve, topping with more grated cheese.
Normally I use a cheap (e.g. Yellowtail) pinot grigio and it works well.
Note: One problem with risotto is that it's never the same after that first night. It tends to get very sticky and gluey reheated. But I've found that if you save a bit of chicken stock and add that to a bowl of risotto to be microwaved, it vastly improves matters.
5 comments:
I would be seriously willing to pay for a nice dinner at Chez MRhe. Would pay even more to have the chef come cook at my apartment.
I've wanted to have people over to Chez MRhé for a while now for dinner.
But I also am willing to be a Traveling Chef.
Either way we should do some kind of foofy dinner party soon.
That looks awesome, I am saving this post.
one way to make sure the leftovers are good is take what you want for portions when it is fresh and then spread the rest out on a sheet pan. The extra surface area cools it down quickly. Most of the reason leftover risotto is a little bad is because it stays how too long and a lot more of the starch pops from the rice (gluten). If you cool it down quickly the leftovers will be better. You'll still need some reserve stock, but water would work as well
-Marc
@susan: It's easy and very delish. I recommend trying it!
@Marc: Cool thanks for the tip. I have another plan for the leftover risotto that I might implement tonight...
Post a Comment