Mushroom Risotto

How to make a mushroom risotto .

This recipe with Italian rice (“riso” in Italian) is one of the best known and most consumed recipes of Italian gastronomy .

We Spaniards are already very rice growers, so they have had it easy to conquer us. It has a creamy point thanks to the butter and Parmigiano cheese, which makes it irresistible for many of us.

One of the peculiarities of a risotto is that the rice is continuously stirred during cooking. In this way, when mixing, it is easier for the starch to come off and a creamier and more linked broth is formed.

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Now that we are in autumn, I wanted to take advantage of the good season of mushrooms to include them as the main ingredient in this rice. Not everyone has quality fresh mushrooms like boletus edulis, chanterelles or chanterelles.

So I have taken the simple way and I have prepared this risotto with mushrooms within everyone’s reach. I have chosen a mix of mushrooms that you can find in any market or store: mushrooms, portobello and the so-called cultivation mushroom or “oyster mushroom”.

I prefer to cook it with another technique, that of adding broth little by little, and thus the rice absorbs the liquid according to your needs. But you know that on the blog, the risotto theme is what I like the most. You even have a special course to make risotto like a real Italian .

For this risotto we have used Scotti risotto rice, which is perhaps the most easily found in supermarkets and supermarkets.

Preparation of the risotto base. Mushrooms

1. The first thing we need is vegetable broth: we clean and chop the vegetables into quarters.
2. In a saucepan, pour 1.5 liters of water and boil. Add the vegetables, salt to your liking and cook for at least 30 minutes over medium heat.
3. With a kitchen paper, we clean the hat from the mushrooms and portobellos.
4. We cut off the bottom of the stem, which usually brings some soil. Once processed, we laminate them and on the other hand.
5. We also cut the cultivation mushrooms into small pieces (of similar size). Keep in mind that later in the casserole they will greatly decrease their size.
6. Cut the onion into a thin brunoise, and fry it in a large skillet (or a wide, flat casserole) with extra virgin olive oil.
7. When we see that it is almost transparent, we add a nut of butter (20 grams), which we mix well with the oil. Try not to burn the onion.

Preparation of risotto rice

1. Now let’s roast the rice. We distribute it throughout the casserole, mix with the rest and let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
2. Pour in the white wine, stir slightly and allow the alcohol to evaporate.
3. Chop the garlic clove very finely. In a separate frying pan, with a little olive oil, we “dance” the garlic and add the mushrooms mix.
4. Cover and let cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. We salt to taste. We pass the ready mushrooms, with the juice that they have released, to the rice casserole.
5. Mix well, add a ladle of vegetable stock and begin to stir the rice, in continuous movements (in a circle).
6. The moment you see that the broth is almost consumed, add a new ladle, and stir the rice again.
7. We are going to repeat this process several times, adding more broth, but always taking care that it never runs out of liquid.

Final presentation of the mushroom risotto

1. As in the case of pasta, the packages of this type of Italian rice set the recommended cooking time.
2. In this case, the arborio rice will be done in 15-16 minutes. Ideally, the rice should be “al dente”, slightly hard. Although here everyone can cook it a little more depending on their tastes.
3. When we reach the optimum point of cooking the rice, it is time to give it the final touch of creaminess, what Italians call “mantecare”.
4. We remove the casserole from the heat. We add a nut of butter (20 gr.) And 80-100 g. grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
5. We remove with enveloping movements so that the cheese is melting, and the rice is acquiring creaminess.
6. And to taste it, there is no time to lose. We serve it hot on the table, taking advantage of that creamy point so delicious.

I hope you enjoy this very autumnal risotto , although you can prepare it throughout the year, using mushrooms that are sold throughout the year.

You can see all the photos of the step by step in the  mushroom risotto recipe. Do not lose detail and it will be perfect.

Tips for a perfect mushroom risotto.

• This rice recipe is to eat it right away, so control the amount you are going to cook well, it does not admit a good reheating and it is not recommended to freeze if it is left over.
• It is not the usual but optionally it can be served with a little finely chopped fresh basil on the risotto, it will give it freshness, color and aroma.
• This risotto lends itself to combining with all kinds of mushrooms, fresh in season or with dry mushrooms (which we must hydrate beforehand). We can do it all year round with mushrooms or with thistle mushrooms (which are grown in all supermarkets).
• The broth is a fundamental ingredient, I recommend that you make a homemade one, but if you don’t have time, buy a quality one. Here the vegetable broth is very good, but one of chicken or poultry also combines perfectly with the mushrooms.
• You can prepare with simple ingredients this ” risotto with boletus edulis and prawns “, a delicious ” risotto a la Parmigiana “, an original ” octopus risotto “, the classic ” risotto with artichokes and lamb “, a traditional  risotto with saffron or the surprising  sea ​​and mountain risotto .