Mixed mushroom risotto

A lot of people are intimidated by risotto, because they think it’s really time consuming and/or complicated. Neither of this are the case. Yes, it’s not something you can whip up in 15 minutes, but it doesn’t take hours either. It just needs your mostly undivided attention for about 30-40 minutes.

Risotto is traditionally not a “main course,” but is typically served as a small “secondi” as an alternative to a pasta course in an Italian multi-course meal. This is a tradition I don’t follow. I often make it as a standalone dish or as a side dish, although in all honestly I could eat it right from the pan.

I like to make it for a dinner party because I can do most of the prep work ahead of time and it’s easy to stir while chatting with guests, and I still have one hand free to drink wine.

Risotto really isn’t that complicated, it just needs a little time and some attention.

1 cup arborio rice (see note at bottom)

Approximately 4 cups stock (chicken or veg)

1/4 cup of white wine (optional, or you can replace with juice from 1/2 a lemon)

1 medium onion, finely chopped and split into two portions

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped and split into two portions

Approximately 3 cups mushrooms (whatever you like and can find)

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesean cheese

roughly 3 tbsp of butter

salt/pepper to taste

-Put the stock on to heat up, then leave it at a simmer while you cook (cold stock will just shock the rice, and take longer to cook).

-In a large saucepan (not a big frying pan) saute one portion of onions and garlic in about a tbsp of butter, soften the onions and then add the mushrooms with the dried basil and a little salt/pepper. Cook the mushrooms until they’ve reduced in size, have a little colour on them and are soft. Put aside.

-In the same pan, add another tablespoon of butter (roughly) and the other onions and garlic, slowly cook them until onions are translucent and soft. Add the rice. Combine the rice with the onions and garlic and cook for about a minute. Then add the wine and stir. Once the wine is absorbed, start adding the stock. Use about 1/3 of a cup at a time (I use a small ladle), waiting until it’s absorbed each time.

-Stir when the stock is added, you don’t have to stir constantly. Just don’t let it sit too long or it will stick.

-Once you can see the rice is getting close to being done, (the rice will change colour, get fatter and you’ll start to see the “sauce” that comes from starch), taste the rice to see how cooked it is so you know how much longer it should cook. This is also a good time to adjust for salt/pepper. You don’t want the rice to be crunchy or mushy, it should have a little texture. 

-Right before the rice is done add the mushrooms back in. I add it when there’s maybe two or three rounds of stock to go.

-Once it’s done, remove it from the heat and add in about a tablespoon of butter and most of the parmesean cheese (save some to sprinkle on top).

SOME TIPS

– Arborio rice goes bad (I just learned this), which is why it’s often vacuum packaged. So store it in an airtight container and DON’T buy it at the bulk food store. I’ve tried this (I love a bulk food store) and it really does make a difference.

– Use good stock. The liquid is absorbed into every bite, so this don’t use the cheapest stock you can find, use the best stock you can. Homemade stock is best, but there are good brands out there, just pick your favourite (I’m a fan of this one made by Knorr). If you think you’re running low on stock (the amount absorbed can change depending on the rice and the weather) add a little more wine, or even water down the stock a bit. 

-If you can, don’t use only one kind of mushroom. Fancy mushrooms (Oyster, shitake, chanterelle, lobster etc.) aren’t cheap, but you don’t need a large amount to get the flavour. Use a small amount of fancy mushrooms and stretch out the rest with cheaper varieties. You can also add the woody stalks of the mushrooms to the stock to increase the flavour bang for your buck.

Leftovers

Risotto isn’t the world’s greatest leftover, BUT it’s not a lost cause. I often make what I call a cheater’s arancini (rice ball) by heating a non-stick pan with a little oil or butter, adding a spoonfull of risotto and let it cook until crispy on one side, flip it and do the same on the other.

If you have to use the microwave, which most of us do at some point, heat it on a lower heat setting for a longer time and stir it occasionally with a little additional liquid.