Tonight's Dinner: Scrumptious Mushroom Risotto

Tonight was vegetarian (not vegan) night at our house. A great way of using up little bits in the refrigerator.

Last week I made something I am calling "Mushroom Confit" - basically mushrooms cooked in oil and then chopped up. It was kind of like mushroom duxelle, a mixture made and put into Beef Wellington at fancy restaurants. I made it so I would put it into my burgers next time I made them (I have friends coming over for Labor Day).

So I decided to put some in the risotto along with a drizzle of truffle oil.

So good. Hubby thought it was excellent. Trevor said it tasted just as great as my usual risotto. I told Steve not to tell him what was in it or he wouldn't finish it. If he knew there were mushrooms in it, he would've gagged, as he says he hates mushrooms. He ate it all and loved it! He even posted a picture on Instagram and Facebook.

It was really good. Picture to come tomorrow. One suggestion - do not cook it so much that it becomes gluey. Good risotto is still a bit liquidy and creamy at the same time. Make sure the rice is cooked al dente (to the tooth).  I find that 20 minutes is perfect for it to come out the way it should. Most rice dishes are cooked until all the liquid is absorbed and the dish itself is dry. Do not do this with risotto. It should be a tiny bit liquid-y.

Risa's Scrumption Mushroom Risotto

1 cup arborio rice, rinsed and picked through

6 cups chicken broth (low sodium preferred)

1 cup water

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, minced

3 cloves garlic, roasted and minced

1/4 cup white wine

3 tbsp mushroom duxelle*

1 cup frozen peas, not necessary to thaw

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, optional

1 tbsp truffle oil

In a small saucepan, heat the broth with the water.

Heat a cast iron skillet OR a large skillet (not non-stick) over MED heat until hot. Add the oil and let it heat a bit. Add the onions and cook until soft, but not browned. Add the garlic and let it cook for a moment, then add the rice. Stir to coat with the oil. Then add the wine. Cook the rice in the wine, stirring constantly, until the wine gets absorbed into the rice. Add the warm broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly, until it is all absorbed. Keep doing this until the rice is 3/4 of the way cooked. This could take up to 20 minutes. You must not walk away, keep stirring, as this is what makes the risotto smooth and creamy.

Add the mushrooms and stir it in. Add more broth and stir, cooking for another minute or so. Add the peas. Cook until they are warmed through, about 3-5 minutes. Add the butter and let it melt in. Stir it in. Taste for seasoning. Add the parmesan and stir it in.

Serve with a drizzle of truffle oil.

Risa's notes:

*mushroom duxelle is classically something that is made and put into Beef Wellington - it is a cooked mixture of mushrooms and truffles (specific kind of expensive mushrooms) and when they soften you add heavy cream, salt and pepper to the mixture. It is very rich. My version had no cream or truffles. I just cooked down several types of mushrooms and drizzled the whole risotto with truffle oil.

Yield: 3-4 servings

Source: RisaG

Posted by RisaG 8/29/12