FOREST MUSHROOM RISOTTO

This dish is the perfect addition to a low-key dinner or picnic on a warm summer night. The earthiness of the mushrooms coupled with the creaminess of the risotto is the perfect heartwarming side dish for bright salads and crispy roasted chicken! Garnish with some toasted pine nuts for a delicious nuttiness and some edible wildflowers to make it gorgeous! Enjoy!

(About 5 portions)

INGREDIENTS

2 oz dried Porcini mushrooms or shitake mushrooms, diced

4 tbsp salted butter

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 ½ lb assorted fresh mushrooms, sliced – we like Portobello, Chanterelle and Porcini but you can also add Shitakes or basically anything!

1 yellow onion, diced

1 ½ cups Arborio rice

2/3 cup of light white wine

5 cups of chicken stock

Salt and Pepper to taste (about 2 tsp of each, don’t skimp!)

½ cup Parmesan, grated

½ cup heavy cream

2 tbsp toasted pine nuts, for garnish

Parsley and edible flowers to garnish

PREPARATION

1.     While you prepare the rest of your ingredients, add the chicken stock to a small saucepan, with the dried mushrooms, and set over a medium-low heat. If you don’t have quite 5 cups, add a bit of water to make up the difference. You’ll want to keep the stock warm for about 10-15 minutes before adding to the risotto, to reconstitute the mushrooms and let it infuse with the flavor.

2.     In a very large sauté pan, add the pine nuts and toast over medium heat until golden brown, about 3 mins. Set aside.

3.     Add 3 tbsp of the butter and 1 tbsp olive oil to the same pan over a medium-high heat. When melted, add the mushrooms to the pan and sauté until golden brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes. You may need to do this in two batches. Remove mushrooms and set aside.

4.     Add the remaining tbsp of butter and olive oil into the same pan over medium heat. Add the diced onions to the pan. Sauté the onions until translucent, about 3 minutes, but do not allow to burn.

5.     Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds but do not allow to brown.

6.     Add the Arborio rice to the pan and coat with the onions. Allow the rice to toast slightly, but not brown, about 1 minute.

7.     Add the wine to the pan and let it be absorbed by the rice, stirring continuously.

8.     Once the wine has absorbed, add 1 cup of the warm chicken stock to the risotto. Stir continuously until the stock has absorbed.

9.     Repeat with all of the chicken stock, a ½ cup at a time, letting each ½ cup absorb before you add the next one. Stir continuously.

10.  Once all of the chicken stock is absorbed, the risotto should be creamy and rich.

11.  Turn the heat down to low and add the cream and the cheese into the risotto. Stir until the cream is absorbed and combined completely.

12.  Add half the mushrooms back in and stir to combine.

13.   Sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste.

14.  Reheat the rest of the mushrooms either in the stock pan or the microwave for a few minutes.

15.  Plate the risotto then top with the toasted pine nuts and the remainder of the mushrooms, then sprinkle with parsley, more cheese and edible flowers!