Mushroom Risotto
Many moons ago my uncle made a mushroom extravaganza for Christmas dinner. There was mushroom soup, mushroom loaf, and a mushroom risotto. At the time, mushrooms were something I couldn’t stand to eat, yet I didn’t want to hurt his feelings since he had made such a wonderful meal. So I ate the soup. I ate some of the loaf. And I ate the risotto. I’m not certain if by the time I got to the risotto I was just so inundated by the mushrooms that I didn’t notice them as much, but I really liked the risotto. I remember somewhat picking at the mushrooms, looking at them in wonderment by this portion of the meal, thinking, “Well, this isn’t too bad!”
Shiitakes ended up being my gateway mushroom. Fast forward many years later, and I enjoy most types of mushrooms (still not a fan of the white button, however). This past week my CSA had quite a few varieties of mushrooms available, so I decided I would try my hand at recreating the risotto that was the first way I ever enjoyed mushrooms.
Mushroom Risotto
Adapted from Emeril’s Mushroom Risotto recipe
Serves 2 as an American-sized entree or 4 as a primi
32 ounces chicken stock
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 finely chopped shallot
2 finely chopped stalks green garlic or 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
12 ounces assorted mushrooms, wiped clean and thinly sliced, stems removed
1 cup arborio rice
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon salt + more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or more to taste)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan plus extra for garnish
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley leaves plus extra for garnish
3 ounces prosciutto, sliced into a thin chiffonade
In a medium saucepan bring the stock to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low to keep hot.
Melt the butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic, and stir until fragrant and soft, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until starting to wilt and their liquid is evaporated, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often (if you have more delicate mushrooms, like tree mushrooms or enokis, that will cook quickly add them a few minutes after your sturdier mushrooms, like king trumpets and shitakes). Add the rice and cook until the grains are opaque, stirring often and scraping the bottom of the pan about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the thyme, season with the salt and pepper, stir, and add the wine. Again scrape any fond from the bottom of the pan and cook until nearly all the wine has evaporated. Ladle 3/4 cup of the stock into the pan. Cook, stirring often, until the stock is nearly all evaporated. Continue adding more stock 1/2 – 3/4 cup at a time as the previous addition is nearly absorbed, until the rice is tender and the risotto is creamy, 18 to 20 minutes. Stir in cream, cheese, and the parsley and mix well. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
Serve risotto in warmed bowls. Top with prosciutto and garnish with parsley and parmesan.
