Yield: 4-6 portions
Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
7 cups mushroom*, vegetable, or chicken stock
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound of mushrooms, such as morels, chantarelles shitake, oyster, thinly sliced (see notes)
½ cup finely diced onion
1 ½ cups risotto rice (see notes)
1 garlic clove, minced
½ cup dry white wine such as a sauvignon blanc
¾ pound asparagus, trimmed and cut in 1-inch lengths
2 tablespoons chives
2 to 4 tablespoons parmesan, to taste
Salt to taste and freshly black pepper to taste
*See recipe
Preparation
1. Put the broth into a saucepan and bring it to a simmer over low heat, with a 4- 6oz ladle at the ready.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of butter and 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a 2 qt saucepan. When butter begins to foam add the onion and a generous pinch of salt, and cook gently until it is just tender about 3 minutes. Do not brown. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2- 3 minutes, stirring often.
3. Stir in rice and garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring so the garlic does not brown. Turn heat to high and add the wine and reduce until it is almost evaporated. Add half the stock; using a wooden spoon mix and agitate the rice for about a minute. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes; the rice should be bubbling, not too slowly but not too quickly. Add remaining stock, reserving ½ a cup. Simmer for 5 minutes and add asparagus and cook for 3 minutes; stirring a few times.
4. Check the rice for doneness by tasting and cutting a kernel in half; it should be al dente and in the center of the kernel there should be a small white starch dot. Adjust the consistency; it should be like hot flowing lava; if it is too loose; turn the heat to high and reduce. Keep in mind that the cheese and butter will thicken the risotto. If it is too thick add additional stock.
5. Turn off heat and mix in the parmesan, remaining butter, and olive oil; stir aggressively to create a creamy emulsion. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve right away in warm wide soup bowls or on plates, spreading the risotto in a thin layer rather than a mound.
Notes:
There are dozens of cultivars of short-grain rice used in Italy but in the U.S. you will more than likely only come across four types that will work for risotto.
Arborio- is the most common one, it is a short-grain (all rice for risotto is a short grain) it can create a very thick “sauce” but has a lack of structure and can easily be overcooked. Even when cooked al dente it's relatively soft.
Vialone Nano is thicker and shorter in comparison to other types of rice. It absorbs liquid well and is more forgiving in regards to overcooking. It is commonly used for soupy-style seafood risottos found in the Veneto region of Italy.
Carnaroli is plumper, larger grain of rice that has a high starch content. It is preferred by many chefs as it produces a very creamy risotto with a nice bite.
Acquerllo is a brand of Carnaroli rice that I use in my restaurants. It’s processed in a very unique way and is aged 1- 7 years; giving it more flavor and the ability to absorb more liquid. This is the rice that some of the best chefs in the world use. I will go into a deeper dive about it in my blog post about risotto. Meanwhile, google it, I think you will find it fascinating and you will understand why it cost more than other rice.
You can substitute domesticated mushrooms for the wild or any combination thereof.
Mushroom Stock
Yield: 7-8 cups
Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
1 cup yellow onion, small dice
1 cup leeks, white and light green parts only, small dice
1/3 cup carrots, small dice
4 garlic cloves, in their skin, smashed with the side of a knife blade
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1 teaspoon salt
11/3 pound button or cremini mushrooms, roughly chopped in a food processor
4 parsley sprigs, coarsely chopped
3 fresh thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
9 cups cold water
Preparation
1. Add all the ingredients into a stockpot, add just enough water to moisten. Place over medium heat, cover, and cook without adding color for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining water and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes.
2. Pour the stock through a strainer, pressing lightly on the vegetables to extract much stock as possible without pureeing the vegetables, then discard them.
Notes:
You can add more of the dried porcini to concentrate the mushroom flavor.
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