Well it might seem an obvious statement but this fabulous risotto uses two different types of mushrooms – shitake and regular button mushrooms. It is the shitake mushrooms that are the star of the dish as they add a wonderful depth of flavor, thanks to not only the mushrooms, but the juices from soaking them as well.
This risotto recipe is a regular for our family as we often get an abundance of button mushrooms from the Markets. Using them in a risotto manages to lower the stock levels nicely and to be honest, most other ways I serve mushrooms usually gets greeted with screwed up noses (by the three little people). Piling lots of parmesan on before serving also ensures quite a bit of it will get eaten.
The recipe is adapted from Rice & Risotto
– a gorgeous book that covers rice recipes from all over the world, sweet and savoury. It has wonderful pictures, easy to follow recipes and a great information section covering all the basic ingredients and techniques required to cook rice dishes.
Two Mushroom Risotto
Adapted from Rice & Risotto by Christine Ingram
Two Mushroom Risotto
Ingredients
25g dried shitake mushrooms (a little more or less won’t hurt)
1 ½ cups warm water
1 litre (4 cups) chicken stock
2 cups button mushrooms, sliced
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cups Arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Method
Place the shitake mushrooms in a bowl and pour over the warm water. Cover and allow to soak for at least 40 minutes.
Soaking Dried Shitake Mushrooms
Remove the mushrooms from the water and set aside. Combine the soaking water and chicken stock in a large fry pan and heat to a simmering point ready for addition to the rice.
In a separate bowl toss the button mushrooms with the lemon juice. In fry pan, heat the butter and add the button mushroom. Fry them gently over a low heat until they begin to brown and give up their juices. Stir through the parsley over the heat then transfer mixture to a bowl and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in the saucepan and sauté the onion until soft. Add the rice and stir constantly for a few minutes to ensure the grains are well coated in oil (Click to learn the basics of How to Make Risotto).
Stir in all the mushrooms and add the wine. Cook while stirring until all the wine has been absorbed. Add the stock one ladle at a time. Stir regularly and ensure each addition of stock is absorbed before adding the next.
Cooking the Risotto
When all the stock has been absorbed, stir through the parmesan and season to taste. Serve with extra parmesan shavings on top.
The Klutzy Cook Notes
- Dried Shitake Mushrooms can be purchased at some regular supermarkets (in Asian section) and Asian supermarkets.
- Any risotto rice can be used as a substitute for Arborio.
While I have only used shitake and button mushrooms, feel free to experiment with others. Please leave any suggestions on what mushroom combinations to use below.
Two Mushroom Risotto
Well it might seem an obvious statement but this fabulous risotto uses two different types of mushrooms – shitake and regular button mushrooms. It is the shitake mushrooms that are the star of the dish as they add a wonderful depth of flavor, thanks to not only the mushrooms, but the juices from soaking them as well.
This risotto recipe is a regular for our family as we often get an abundance of button mushrooms from the markets. Using them in a risotto manages to lower the stock levels nicely and to be honest, most other ways I serve mushrooms usually gets greeted with screwed up noses (by the three little people). Piling lots of parmesan on before serving also ensures quite a bit of it will get eaten.
The recipe is adapted from Rice and Risotto – a gorgeous book that covers rice recipes from all over the world, sweet and savoury. It has wonderful pictures, easy to follow recipes and a great information section covering all the basic ingredients and techniques required to cook rice dishes.
Two Mushroom Risotto
Adapted from Rice and Risotto by Christine Ingram
Ingredients
25g dried shitake mushrooms (a little more or less won’t hurt)
1 ½ cups warm water
1 litre (4 cups) chicken stock
2 cups button mushrooms, sliced
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cups Arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Method
Place the shitake mushrooms in a bowl and pour over the warm water. Cover and allow to soak for at least 40 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the water and set aside. Combine the soaking water and chicken stock in a large saucepan and heat to a simmering point ready for addition to the rice.
In a separate bowl toss the button mushrooms with the lemon juice. In a saucepan, heat the butter and add the button mushroom. Fry them gently over a low heat until they begin to brown and give up their juices. Stir through the parsley over the heat then transfer mixture to a bowl and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in the saucepan and sauté the onion until soft. Add the rice and stir constantly for a few minutes to ensure the grains are well coated in oil (Click to learn the basics of How to Make Risotto).
Stir in all the mushrooms and add the wine. Cook while stirring until all the wine has been absorbed. Add the stock one ladle at a time. Stir regularly and ensure each addition of stock is absorbed before adding the next.
When all the stock has been absorbed, stir through the parmesan and season to taste. Serve with extra parmesan shavings on top.
While I have only used shitake and button mushrooms, feel free to experiment with others. Let me know how they turn out.
