Mushroom Risotto
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Bursting with savory flavors, this rich and creamy Mushroom Risotto requires only a handful of simple ingredients and is much easier to make than you think. It's the perfect dish for a small dinner party, or for a special family meal.
Servings: 4 to 6
Ingredients
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 pound mixed mushrooms, chopped or thinly sliced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 ½ cups (350g) Arborio rice (or Carnaroli, or Vialone Nano)
- 1/2 cup (100ml) dry white wine
- 2-3 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, divided
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring broth to a simmer. Reduce heat to low.
- In a wide, heavy-bottomed pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add all of the mushrooms and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 7-8 minutes, or until mushrooms are soft and have released most of their moisture. Transfer the mushrooms and any juices to a plate and set aside.
- Wipe out the pan (just to remove any remaining mushrooms bits) and place over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, onion and a good pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onion becomes soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Don't let the onion brown.
- Add the rice and increase the heat to medium high. Toast the rice for a couple of minutes, stirring often, until the edges become translucent. Pour in the wine and give it all a good stir. Cook and continue to stir until most of the wine is absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Lower the heat to medium and start to ladle in the broth a little at a time, stirring often and allowing the rice to absorb most of the liquid before adding some more. Try and keep the rice wet at all times and adjust the level of heat so the rice is simmering very gently. Continue doing this until the mixture is creamy and the rice feels tender but still al dente (slightly firm in the centre), 18 to 20 minutes. Note that you may not need to use all the broth, but make sure and reserve at least 2 ladles for the end.
- A few minutes before the rice seems cooked, stir in the mushrooms (reserve a few of the nicer ones for topping, if you wish). Remove the pan from the heat, then add the butter, parmesan, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, and 1 ladle of broth. Give everything a gentle stir. If the risotto doesn't seem loose enough, add another ladle of broth.
- Serve immediately, garnished with a little more parsley and topped with reserved mushrooms and extra parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
Stir frequently but not constantly. You don't have to stand by the pan and stir it non-stop. In fact too much stirring could result in gummy rice. That said, stirring is what will help release the starches in the rice, resulting in a gloriously creamy dish so you should give it a stir every minute or so.
Add Broth a little at a time. To achieve the perfect creamy consistency in your risotto, ladle the hot stock (broth) a little at a time. Once most of the broth has been absorbed, add the next ladle of broth.
Don't overcook the rice. This could be the trickiest part to nail when making risotto. You want the grains to be soft but still at al dente. In other words, you should still see a spot of white in the centre of the grain and when you take a bite, it should have a pleasant chew without feeling mushy.
To store: This cooked mushroom risotto, like all rice, should be refrigerated within two hours. Place in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days.