Risotto is something that doesn't need to be as hard to make as everyone seems to think it is. Follow these simple steps and you will have a DELISH wild mushroom risotto on the table in no time.
It may well be 30+ degrees here in Bris-Vegas as we come into Christmas - WTF!!! It's so weird seeing all the Christmas decorations as you wander around in shorts, hit the beach and grill meat on the BBQ. Weird but at the same time I kinda like the idea of going for a swim on Christmas morning in the pool and not like the weirdos back home in Dublin jumping off the 40-foot pier into the sea. DAMN - I guess that's one way of getting rid of that Christmas Eve hangover!
Anyways, back to the wild mushroom risotto. I have been cooking risotto for a while and this particular dish is a family favourite. In fact, my sister who is visiting from Scotland requested this as her last dinner before she heads back home. SO on that note, I figured no better time to post the recipe on my blog and share it with my fans (read family and 6 other friends who actually read this far!).
Typically, people think risotto is something you need to slave away at and stand over for 40 mins which leaves you removed from you dinner party (not always the worst thing - guests depending!!) but follow my tips/tricks below and you will learn how easy it is to make it in advance leaving you time to chat with your dinner guests and/or enjoy that extra glass of wine!
Wine Pairing
There is nothing better than a cooler evening, a bowl of wild mushroom risotto and a bottle of pinot in hand. Well, the glass in hand but the bottle pretty close to hand too. It's a cracking match. This week thanks to my buddy Dan at winedirect.com.au I am sipping in Picardy Pinot Noir. This pinot comes out of Pemberton in WA. In fact, it's my first pinot from WA. Thanks, Dan, you gave me my first 😉
The pinot is made in a more Burgundian style, in fact, the clones for the vines were brought over from Burgundy themselves - something that took the Pannel family over 10 years to do. Dedication! You may ask what a Burgundian pinot tastes like. Well, it's known as an "old world wine" so comparing to an Aussie pinot I find it a little more earthy, more acidic. This would tend to mean, in my opinion, that they will age better or longer than new world pinots but that's not always 100% true.
The Picardy Pemberton Pinot exudes class and sophistication, definitely much like myself as I have my feet up on the couch watching Netflix drinking the wine! Spice, black pepper, truffle & raspberry make this wine completely moreish. In fact, the 2018 vintage is probably their best vintage yet. The earthy tones in the wine pair wonderfully with the risotto, the truffle helps lift the dish but the acidity is what really brings the party in your mouth. My advice - 6 pack, it's really a no-brainer. I'm excited to taste their Chardy too which is en route!
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Ingredients
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 1 shallot diced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 75 ml white wine
- 1 litre mushroom stock see recipe
- 25 g dried mushrooms
- pinch salt
- pinch pepper
- 1 tsp thyme & extra for garnish chopped
- 100 g butter split 75g & 25g
- .5 cup Parmesan cheese grated
Garnish
- 100 g mushrooms (swiss brown, chestnut, shiitake)
- 1 spring onion sliced at angle
- Parmesan cheese
- Truffle oil optional
Instructions
Mushroom Stock
- Combine the dried mushrooms with 1 litre of warm water and leave for minimum of 1 hour but I typically leave it over night
Risotto
- Heat stock in saucepan and leave at a simmer.
- Cook onion & garlic in pan on medium - high heat with oil & 25g butter.
- Add rice and cook, stirring continuously for 2 - 3 mins.
- Add white wine and cook for 2 - 3 mins until wine has reduced. Add thyme.
- Gradually add stock to rice, 1 soup ladle at a time. Stir gently until rice has soaked up all stock – approx. 25/30mins
- Fry mushrooms for garnish in separate frying pan.
- Remove the cooked rice from the heat and stir in the 75g of butter and parmesan cheese.
- Place risotto in bowl or on plate. Garnish with fried mushrooms, thyme, spring onions. Drizzle with truffle oil and grate as much parmesan cheese as you want on top!
Notes
Essential Tools
- measuring spoons/cupschopping board
- knife
- saucepan
- large risotto pan/high sided pan
- wooden spoon
- cheese grater
- soup ladle
Tips/Tricks
- you can substitute veg or chicken stock instead of mushroom stock but the mushroom stock adds serious umami
- when making risotto it's important to stay close to it. It needs to be continuously stirred but not over worked so be delicate
- making risotto in advance is as simple as just cooking it to about 75% (when the rice has a slight bite to it) and then removing it from the heat, spreading it out flat on a baking tray and making criss crosses in the risotto to help cool it quicker. Once ready to reheat then pop it back into the pan with some hot stock and away you go***
Nutrition
Made this a couple of times it's very tasty, once with dried mushrooms like in the recipe and once with fresh both tines it's been delicious 5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Glad to hear you enjoyed it mate!
My husband loves mushrooms. It'd be nice to surprise him with this dish.