Using this simple but oh so tasty mushroom risotto recipe will quickly make this dish become a weekly staple for any household or party. Risotto is not as difficult to make as some would say and certainly doesn’t need a lot of ingredients. You just need the right risotto rice and determination. Ideal for a hearty winter warmer or as an entrée with a crisp green salad in the summer.
Ingredients
- 2 sticks of celery
- 1 lb (450 g) risotto rice
- Coarse sea salt
- One 50 mm (2”) clump of fresh ginger, finely grated
- Fresh ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) white wine
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 6 oz (150 g) of Oyster or Shitake mushrooms, washed and sliced
- 1 sprig of tarragon plucked and chopped
- 1 tsp of butter
- 3 tbsp of dried porcini mushrooms
- 2 tbsp of freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 lemon juice
- 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- 1.5 L (3 pints) of hot chicken stock
How to Make It
- Make your stock in a saucepan on a low heat and maintain a low simmer. Hydrate the porcini mushrooms by adding to a jug of some of the hot stock, enough to cover. Leave for a 5 to 10 minutes until they look completely hydrated. Take them out of the liquid and roughly chop them, putting aside the hydrating stock.
- Now, using a large pan, heat a tbsp of olive oil and add the celery and ginger. Fry slowly without burning them for about 10-15 minutes, then turn the heat up to a medium heat and add the rice. Stir often.
- Now mix in in the wine, constantly stirring until the liquid has soaked into the rice. Next pour the porcini hydrating liquid through a sieve into the pan to filter the residue left from the mushrooms adding the chopped porcini, salt and pepper to season and the first cup of hot stock. Turning the heat low to a simmer, keep adding cupful’s of the chicken stock, constantly stirring the rice, allowing each cupful to be absorbed before adding the next cup.
- Maintain this method until the rice is soft but not stodgy (about 30 minutes).
- Now heat a dry frying pan on a medium heat and add the mushrooms until soft without burning. Now put them in a mixing bowl and add the freshly chopped herbs, the lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Fold all ingredients together. Take the risotto off the hob adjust the seasoning carefully. Now add the butter until it dissolves with the parmesan. Add extra stock if it looks too dry. Cover and leave the risotto to rest for about 4 minutes.
- Serve a good portion of risotto per plate garnished with the grilled mushrooms, sprinkling freshly grated Parmesan and a few drops of extra virgin olive oil.
