Mushroom Risotto
April 21st, 2009 § Leave a Comment
Checked the fridge last night and found to my amazement some slightly dry swiss brown mushrooms and a bunch of spring onions.
Mushroom risotto it was. I love the therapeutic process of constantly stirring the pot, or if others who like to ask “is there anything I can do to help”, they can be given this to do, freeing you up to fill your glasses of wine, organise some nice music etc.
3 large swiss brown mushrooms, finely chopped
1 small packet porcini mushrooms
Zest of one lemon
1 bunch spring onions finely chopped (reserve tops for making stock)
1 litre vegetable or chicken stock (I used a Massel stock cube)
60g butter
50g Finely grated parmesan
2 glasses dry white wine (1 for the pot, 1 for the chef)
250g arborio rice
I bunch Italian parsley, finely chopped.
Soak the dried porcinis in warm water for at least 20 mins. Reserve the water. This adds to the flavour.
Heat stock and add spring onion tops. Let this simmer for a while to extract the onion flavour. When ready to begin cooking the rice, strain the stock into another pot.
On a medium heat, melt butter in large saucepan, add finely chopped spring onions and saute until soft.
Add rice and stir until all grains are coated with the butter.
Add the wine and stir until it has all been absorbed.
Add the reserved porcini water, and one ladle of stock. Chop the soaked porcinis and add these and the other chopped mushrooms.
When stock has been aborbed, continue to add stock one ladle at a time, only adding more when the rice has absorbed this completely.
Continue this process for around 20 to 25 minutes until rice is just tender. Take the pot off the heat, stir through another knob of butter, the grated parmesan and the Italian parsley and lemon zest and let it stand, covered for around 5 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and shave some extra parmesan over with a veg peeler.
If there’s any white wine left, fill your glass(es) and enjoy the fruits of your labours. If there’s no wine left, open another one!
Risotto Primavera
September 14th, 2008 § Leave a Comment
Risotto primavera
Reading this week’s ABC Delicious magazine I was particularly inspired by Ben O’Donaghue’s recipe. It’s a real taste of spring using fresh asparagus and broad beans that appear at this time of year.
Luckily, I’m a regular at the Mondo Markets and they have these things in abundance.
It was a sheer joy to shell, peel stir and grate the yummy contents of this dish. Early in the process, you need to add a cup of dry white wine. Most recipes should mention you’ll need an extra glass to sip while you stir the rice!
Vino e riso
There’s something really meditative about ladling in the stock and the smell of garlic, butter and white wine is intoxicating in itself!
It’s an opportunity to listen to some great music, sip on a glass of something cool and crisp and let the process be the point of the exercise, not getting the dinner on the table in record fast time.
Stirring stuff!
A dollop of mascarpone cheese and some mint slivers add a really classy finish to this great recipe. Oh, and you’ll need a top up of the dry white. All that stirring’s thirsty work!
If you can’t get hold of the magazine for Ben’s recipe, here’s one on a BBC website…..
Or click here for more recipes using broad beans
