Mushroom Risotto
Description
Risotto is not difficult to make, but does take a little time and patience. It is so delicious, it is really worth the time to prepare it. It can be served as the main dish or as a side. To make it vegetarian, substitute vegetable stock for the beef stock
Ingredients
1 portobello mushroom
6 oz. cremini mushrooms
1/2 oz. package dried wild mushrooms, any variety
26 oz. beef stock
2 c. water
2 T. butter
1 T. olive oil
2 - 3 large shallots, peeled, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 1/2 c. arborio rice
1/2 c. cognac
handful fresh thyme
salt and freshly ground black pepper
freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese, optional
1/3 c. mascarpone cheese, optional
more fresh thyme for garnish
Directions
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Place the dried mushrooms in a small bowl; cover with warm water, according to the package directions. When reconstituted, drain, and rough chop; set aside.
Clean fresh mushrooms with a damp towel, or, if they are very dirty, give them a quick shower. Pat dry, trim and slice.
Place fresh mushrooms in a dry saute pan; cook over medium heat until they start to release moisture and darken. Stir often to prevent sticking. When mushrooms are cooked through, turn off the heat; set aside.
Put the beef stock and the water in a saucepan; heat to just under a simmer. Add a few thyme sprigs to infuse flavor into the stock as it heats.
In a heavy stockpot, melt butter and oil; saute shallots and garlic for about 5 minutes over medium low heat, but not browned. Add rice; stir to coat; saute 1 minute or so, stirring constantly.
Add cognac to the pan; stir until absorbed. You should hear a nice sizzling sound when it hits the pan. If you don't, the heat is too low.
Add reconstituted dried mushrooms and HALF of the fresh mushrooms to the pan, along with at least 1 T. fresh thyme leaves, salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste.
Add warm stock, ladle by ladle, to the pan. Add 1 - 2 ladles (about 1/3 cup) at a time to the rice; stir until absorbed. Keep adding the warm stock, stirring until absorbed, before ladling in the next addition. The whole process is going to take about 30 minutes.
After about 20 minutes, start tasting the rice. When it is done, it will be tender but still somewhat firm. You may not need all the stock. I like to end with a ladle of stock so that the risotto has a somewhat loose consistency before adding the cheese.
When the rice is done, add in a squeeze of lemon juice and cheeses; stir well. Taste to adjust the seasonings. Sprinkle in more thyme at this point, if desired.
Plate the risotto right away; top with the remaining fresh mushrooms and more fresh thyme.
***The secret to a great risotto is to keep the stock and the pan at the right temperature. The stock should be gently simmering at all times, but not boiling. If you add a ladle of stock to the pan and it doesn't simmer instantly, the stock or pot is not hot enough. The marscapone will make the risotto extra creamy, but you can omit it if you choose.