Easy Mushroom Risotto
July 19, 2021 • Beans & Grains, Cooking for One (or Two), Technique
If you’ve ever watched a single cooking competition show on television, you might come away with the conclusion that risotto is ridiculously hard to make. Lots, and I mean lots, of contestants have been eliminated on these shows when they tried to make risotto and flopped. Well I’m here to tell you it’s quite simple, not time consuming, and delicious.
I don’t often think to make risotto, but when my farm CSA provided me with these gorgeous Black Pearl King mushrooms recently, I knew I was going to make risotto. You may start this a bit before dinner and then finish it at the last minute to serve with my foolproof technique. You can use any mushrooms you like, and can add other herbs if desired. Make it your own!
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, cleaned and roughly sliced or chopped
- 1 medium shallot, chopped
- Salt and pepper
- ½ cup arborio rice
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or the leaves from a few sprigs of fresh thyme)
- ¼ cup white wine
- 2½ to 3 cups chicken stock (or water)
- ¼ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- Chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)
- Heat 2 tablespoons of butter and the olive oil in a sauce pan over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and shallots and season very lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have release their extra water and the shallots soften, about 3-5 minutes. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
- Add the remaining butter to the same sauce pan and add the rice and thyme once the butter is melted. Stir for a minute or two then deglaze the pan with the white wine; stir until mostly evaporated.
- Add stock ¼ cup at a time and stir continuously until it's mostly absorbed, then add a little more stock and repeat. When the rice is nearly cooked, but not all the way, remove from heat, and add the mushrooms and shallots. You can set the pot aside for 30-60 minutes at this point.
- When you are ready to serve, bring the pot up to heat and continue adding stock and stirring gently until the rice is tender. Stir in the cheese, pour into a serving bowl, and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve immediately for creamy risotto.