Cheesy Mushroom Risotto
Found some fab mushrooms at the farmers market? This risotto is a great way to capture all that tasty goodness. Make a stock from the trimmings and a few dried mushrooms if you want to go the extra mile.
For a final flourish, you could top the finished dish with some fried mushroom slices or parmesan crisps.
ingredients
- 60ml extra virgin olive oil
- 250g mushrooms, small dice
- fresh thyme sprigs
- 400ml vegetable stock
- 1 brown onion, finely diced
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 100g carnaroli rice
- 60ml dry white wine
- 40g unsalted butter
- 75g Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated
- 50g washed rind cheese, small dice
- salt and pepper to taste
method
Bring olive oil to a medium heat in a heavy-based pan. Add mushrooms and lightly sauté for several minutes so they soften but don’t really take on any colour. Add thyme, stir then remove this to a plate and set to one side.
In a separate saucepan bring the stock to the boil then turn down to simmer. It’s important to ladle in hot stock to the rice as it helps the rice release more starch, resulting in a creamier risotto.
Add the onion to the leftover oil in the first pan and gently cook over a low heat for 5-7 minutes, before adding the garlic and cooking for a further 3 minutes. Give the pan a stir now and then so none of it burns.
Shower the rice into the pan, stirring it to coat in oil. Allow it to lightly toast (2-3 minutes) then add in the wine and stir until absorbed.
One ladle at a time, add the warm stock, stirring regularly – but not continuously as it can get tiring. Once one ladleful has almost been all absorbed add the next one.
After about 15 minutes, test a grain of rice to see how it’s going. Similar to pasta, the rice when done will have a slight chew but still soft. Continue this ladling/stirring process until the rice is al dente and hopefully you’ve managed to use all the stock.
Scatter in the cooked mushrooms and stir well. Now add the butter, Parmigiano Reggiano and stir the whole thing vigorously, agitating the pan at the same time. By now the risotto should be creamy and not too wet or too dry. Taste and adjust seasoning if required.
To serve, place cubed washed rind cheese in each plate/bowl and carefully spoon the risotto over the top.