Vegetarian | Vegan optional | Gluten-free 

Yield: 4 servings · Prep: 15 min · Cook: 35–40 min

Risotto has a reputation for being fussy and it is not. That said, it does ask you to stand at the stove and pay attention for about twenty minutes. The result is one of the best possible vehicles for high quality mushrooms and it becomes a dish where the mushroom flavor goes all the way through the rice instead of just sitting on top of it.

The one thing most recipes get wrong is treating the mushrooms as an afterthought, dumped in raw at the start. We recommend cooking them separately, browning them up, and folding them in at the end. That way they stay themselves instead of disappearing into the starch.

Nearly any mushroom works for this recipe! Pioppino and shiitake are the classics as they are nutty, deeply savory, and firm enough to hold their shape. Blue oyster is excellent and cooks fast. King oyster, sliced into medallions and seared hard, makes a beautiful garnish on top.

Ingredients

For the mushrooms

• 12 oz fresh mushrooms, torn or sliced into bite-size pieces

• 2 tbsp butter or olive oil

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• A few sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary

• Salt and pepper

For the risotto

• 5–6 cups light vegetable or chicken stock

• 2 tbsp butter or olive oil

• 1 small onion or 2–3 shallots, minced fine

• 1½ cups arborio or carnaroli rice

• ½ cup dry white wine

• 2 tbsp cold butter, cut in pieces

• ½ cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino

• Salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon

Preparation

1. Warm the stock. Bring it to a bare simmer in a saucepan and keep it there. Cold stock added to hot rice stalls the cooking and gives you gluey risotto. Be sure to taste the stock as it should be light. Stock that is already intensely mushroomy will bury the fresh mushrooms rather than support them.

2. Dry sauté the mushrooms. Heat a wide skillet over medium-high and add the mushrooms with no fat, in a single layer with space between them. Work in two batches if you have to. Be wary of adding too many mushrooms at once as a crowded pan steams the mushrooms instead of browning them. Cook 5–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they've released their moisture, cooked it off, and are turning golden. Next add the butter or oil, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper, and cook for two minutes more. Set the mushrooms aside and hold back a handful for the top of the dish at the end.

3. Sweat the onion. In a wide, heavy pot over medium heat, melt the butter and cook the onion or shallots slowly until they are soft and translucent, about 5–8 minutes. Don't brown them.

4. Toast the rice. Add the rice and stir to coat, cooking 2–3 minutes until the grains look glassy at the edges with a white core. This step is important as it firms the outside of each grain so it absorbs liquid slowly instead of turning it into a mush. Do not rinse the rice beforehand because the surface starch is a key component of making this dish excellent.  

5. Deglaze with wine. Pour in the wine and stir until it has almost entirely cooked away, about 2 minutes.

6. Add the stock, one ladle at a time. About ½ to 1 cup at a time, just enough to cover the rice. Stir often, and wait until each addition is nearly absorbed before adding the next. Keep the pot in a gentle, steady bubble. This takes 18–22 minutes. You may not need all the stock so continue to monitor the rice, not how much stock you have left.

7. Fold in the mushrooms. With about 5 minutes of cooking left, stir in the mushrooms so they warm through and give up some flavor without losing their texture.

8. Finish off the heat. When the rice is tender with a slight bite at the center, pull the pot off the burner. Add the cold butter and the cheese and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon for 30 seconds. This is the step that makes risotto creamy even though no cream is required. Season with salt, pepper, and a small squeeze of lemon.

9. Serve immediately, topped with the reserved mushrooms and a bit more cheese if you prefer.

Notes & Variations

• How to know it's done. Drag a spoon through the pan. If the risotto folds slowly back to fill the gap, it's right. If it holds the gap open, it's too dry so be sure to add another splash of stock. Risotto stiffens fast as it sits, so err on the slightly loose side.

• Use the stems. Shiitake and oyster stems are too woody to eat but full of flavor. Simmer them in your stock for 20 minutes and strain them out before you start.

• Make it vegan. Olive oil in place of butter throughout, and finish with a spoonful of white miso and nutritional yeast instead of cheese. Beat it in the same way.

• Go by species. Shiitake wants soy sauce and a splash of sherry. Pioppino is beautiful with rosemary and olive oil. Blue oyster loves garlic and thyme. Lion's mane is best seared separately in big pieces and laid on top.

• A wide pot is better than a tall one. More surface area means faster, more even evaporation and less frantic stirring.

Storage

Risotto is at its best the moment it leaves the pot and does not reheat gracefully. Refrigerated, it keeps 2 days. The best use of leftovers is arancini: chill it firm, roll into balls around a cube of mozzarella, bread with cornmeal, and fry.

Check out our website and info hub for more ideas and recipes at wellspringforestfarm.com/mushroom-info-hub