mushroom risotto

Arborio rice is key to a good risotto. Being from a good Italian family, I’m gonna go ahead and say that you cannot make risotto without Arborio rice. There. I said it. So, go get some!

Arborio is an Italian short-grain rice. It is named after the town of Arborio in the Po Valley, where it is grown. Cooked, the rounded grains are firm, creamy, and chewy, due to the high starch content of this rice variety, thus they have a starchy taste of their own, yet blend well with other flavors. The main feature of a risotto dish is the maintenance of this starch at the end of cooking that binds the grains together as a cream.

Risotto by itself is fantastic. But add some mushrooms? Mmmm.

Mushroom Risotto

Serves 4.

Once you master how to make risotto, the ingredients are interchangeable! Add peas, red wine instead of white, or artichokes!

3 ½ cups canned low-salt chicken broth

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1-2 pounds assorted wild mushrooms, cleaned and chopped

1 cup finely chopped onion or 4 shallots

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup arborio rice

½ cup dry white wine

½ cup grated Parmesan, plus additional for garnish

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring the broth to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover the broth and keep it warm over very low heat.

Melt the butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until almost caramelized, about 7 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Add the onion or shallots and sauté until translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.

Stir in the rice and cook for about 2 minutes until the rice is toasted.

Add the wine and stir until it is absorbed, about 1 minute. Add ¾ cup of hot broth; simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 6 minutes. Repeat, adding ¾ cup of hot broth 2 more times, stirring often, about 12 minutes longer.

Add the remaining broth and simmer until the rice is just tender and the mixture is creamy, about 5 minutes longer. Add the ½ cup of Parmesan. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Spoon the risotto into bowls. Sprinkle additional cheese over and serve.