Risotto just might be the classiest comfort food around. It’s got all the components of great comfort food—carbohydrates, cheese, and overall creaminess—but it has a fancy sounding name that makes people think risotto is not something they could ever make themselves. I’m here to tell you that name is lying to you! Risotto is easy (well, not as easy as most casseroles that include canned cream-of-something soup as an ingredient, but still pretty easy), and it is likely to impress guests. And make delicious leftovers.
Mushroom risotto has always been my favourite. It pairs so well with cheese and general creaminess, and the depth of the mushrooms is always wonderfully rich and satisfying. This risotto featured both dried and fresh mushrooms; cremini for the fresh, and a mixture of unidentified (yet delicious) wild mushrooms a friend’s grandmother harvested out in Manitoba. I suppose you could use porcini and portobello if you don’t have access to such an awesome foraging friend or family member.
Making risotto is rather like making quick breads; once you understand the basic process, you can make pretty much any risotto without reading the instructions or even really using a recipe. It’s awesome. You start with some aromatics; onions and garlic, generally. Perhaps leeks. Definitely mushrooms in this case. Sauté. Then add some rinsed arborio rice—this is your special Italian risotto rice. Sauté everything until the rice is transparent around the edges. Then add some white wine (a glug or two is fine) and stir until it evaporates.
Now it’s time for stock. This should be good stock. From a box is probably ok, but I wouldn’t recommend from a cube unless you’re looking to overdose on sodium. Keep you stock hot, in a pot next to your risotto pot. Ladle it in, 100mL or so at a time, stirring the risotto. Once the stock has been absorbed, add more, and stir more. As the rice cooks the stock will start absorbing more slowly. After 15 minutes or so of cooking, taste a bit of rice to see how tender it is. Proceed as necessary.
Finish the risotto off with some cheese, cooked veggies, or whatever else strikes your fancy. Serve, garnished with some herbs or perhaps a drizzle of nice olive oil (pomace) (USA / Canada) and a few crumbles of cheese.
Wild Mushroom Risotto
2 cups arborio rice, rinsed
2 tbsp ghee, more as needed
1 tbsp olive oil (pomace) (USA / Canada), more as needed1 onion, finely chopped
½ tsp ground coriander
1 good garlic clove, minced
3 cups sliced cremini mushrooms½ cup cheap white wine
6 cups vegetable stock
1 cup dried mushrooms, bashed into little bits½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Truffle oil, to finish
Heat the ghee and olive oil (pomace) (USA / Canada) over medium heat in a large heavy-bottomed sauce pot. Cook the mushrooms until shriveled and dark brown, 10–15 minutes. Remove from the pan.
While the mushrooms cook down, combine the stock and dried mushrooms in another stock pot and heat to just below a simmer on another burner. Keep hot.
Add more ghee and oil, then add the onion and cook, stirring, until tender. Add the coriander and garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the mushrooms to the mixture, and then the rinsed rice. Sauté until the edges of the rice are a bit translucent, 2 or 3 minutes.
Now for the stock! Add a ladle of stock to the rice mixture and gently stir until it dissolves. Add more stock, stir, and repeat. You don’t need to stir all the time, but do be fairly persistent about it.
The rice should be done cooking in about 20 minutes, so be sure to taste it a bit before then to make sure you’re not going to end up on the mushy side. Once the rice is al dente, add the cheese and the leftover mushroom bits from the stock. Serve with a drizzle of truffle oil. Yum!
