Mushroom Risotto
The first step to great risotto is choosing the right rice, and that rice should have a high starch content. Because starch is so important to a successful risotto, you should never rinse the rice before cooking it. Risotto is a chemistry experiment; with the careful application of heat and liquid, the starches locked in the rice are teased out to mingle with the rest of the contents in the pan—the onions, the wine, and the broth. The starch morphs into a creamy not-quite sauce that envelops the rice in a savory cloud made even more creamy by a final addition of butter and freshly-grated parmesan cheese.
Because risotto is so starchy and creamy, you need some kind of acid to cut through the fat and create balance. Wine is typically used to do that, after the rice has sautéed in onions and oil, and before the vegetable stock is added. We used sake here, which also added depth and sweetness, but white wine is traditional. If you don’t want to use wine, leave it out. Add the acidity at the end of cooking with a squeeze of lemon juice, instead. The broth should be added incrementally, in half-cup ladles-full, to get nice, plump grains of rice, and it should be hot and kept at a simmer during the cooking process. Cold broth in a hot pan lowers the temperature of everything and alters the chemistry at work. Cook until the rice goes from bright white to shiny and looks almost translucent; you may see a little nub of white in the center. And be picky about your parmesan. Now is the time to leave behind the convenience-based shaker in the fridge, which is too salty and will give your risotto a grainy texture. Pick up a good cheese that you can grate and will melt in. Top risotto with more mushrooms and butter, and garnish with chives or parsley. Serve this with a steaming piece of crusty bread and a simple green salad, and go on a mental vacation to a café in a piazza in Milan.
- 5 cups water vegetable stock
- 4 Tablespoons butter, divided
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 8 ounce assorted fresh mushrooms, divided
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tablespoons Flippin The Bird
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 1/4 cup sake or dry white wine
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1. Bring vegetable stock to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Keep this vegetable stock overheat while making risotto.
2. Roughly chop about ¾ of the mushrooms and saute with 1 Tablespoon butter, 1 Tablespoon olive oil, 1 Tablespoon Flippin’ the Bird seasoning, 2 minced garlic cloves, and salt to taste. Once the mushrooms are nicely browned turn off the heat and reserve for serving the risotto.
3. In a wide-bottom skillet heat 1 Tablespoon butter and 1 Tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Saute shallot briefly until it turns translucent but not brown. Add the remaining mushrooms, which have been finely chopped, and the rice. Stir to coat the rice and cook for approximately 5 minutes, while stirring gently.
4. Add sake and cook until evaporated.
5. Gradually add vegetable stock; start with 1 cup stock and the remaining Tablespoon Flipping the Bird seasoning. Gently stir while adding ½ cup vegetable stock at a time. The rice should absorb most of the stock prior to adding each consecutive ½ cup. Taste the risotto after 4 cups of the stock has been added. The rice should be just a little bit firm but mostly soft. If the rice is still too firm, continue the process until it is done.
6. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining butter, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, and reserved mushrooms.