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Mushroom Risotto

This isn’t just risotto with mushrooms in it. It’s a beaucoup of mushroom flavors intertwined in creamy, porridge like stock and risotto rice. It could be a side dish but it’s hearty enough to be the main feature of your meal.
The essence of mushrooms is infused into every step of this dish. I use mushrooms with high impact flavors: dried chanterelles, fresh creminis, juice from the dried chanterelles and the earthy flavors of truffle oil.
I had one of my most memorable meals when I was in Ikara, Greece. The night before our departure from the island we had a beautiful dinner in a tiny village up the mountain. With lights hanging from the trees, cats wondering all around, a rustic table surrounded by old and new friends, bottomless carafes of Greek wine, I ordered the Mushrooms Risotto. I can still smell and visualize the risotto (and the amazing surroundings).
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Keyword mushrooms, Risotto, truffle oil

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups Risotto
  • 5 cups Liquid/Broth 1 ½ cups mushroom liquid, 3 ½ cups mushroom broth
  • 1 ounce Dried Chanterelles or Porcini Mushrooms
  • 1 pound Cremini Mushrooms thinly sliced
  • 4 tablespoons Butter
  • 3+ tablespoon s Truffle Oil Black or White
  • 1 tablespoon Mushroom Base
  • 6 tablespoons Shallots minced, approximately one shallot
  • 1 tablespoon Garlic minced, approximately two garlic cloves
  • 2 teaspoons Soy Sauce
  • ¾ cup Chardonnay
  • 3 tablespoons Parmesan plus more for garnish

Instructions

  • Soak dried chanterelles mushrooms in 2 cups warm water for 30 minutes. Use your hands to mix and submerge the mushrooms while they are soaking. Do this 2-3 times.
  • While mushrooms are soaking, brush dirt from the cremini mushrooms with a mushroom brush or paper towel. Cut off bottom of mushroom stem. Slice thinly in a food processor or with a knife. Set to the side.
  • Add 1 tablespoon mushroom base to 3 ½ cups of hot water. Whisk to incorporate. Place it in a small saucepan and keep on low heat on the stove top.
  • After 30 minutes of soaking the dried mushrooms, strain through a fine sieve, saving the mushroom liquid. You’ll have 1 ½ cups of mushroom liquid. Add the mushroom liquid to the warming mushroom broth.
  • Rinse off hydrated mushrooms and chop coarsely. Set to the side.
  • In a large saucepan, over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons truffle oil. When foaming subsides, add fresh cremini mushrooms. Sauté until golden brown, stirring occasionally, for about 4-5 minutes. Add shallots, garlic and hydrate mushrooms. Sauté an additional 2-3 minutes or until shallots are translucent. Remove mushroom mixture from the pan and set to the side
  • With ½ cup wine, deglaze the pan, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
  • Add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon truffle oil. After butter foaming subsides, add risotto. Stir until grain edges are transparent, about 3 minutes.
  • Add soy sauce and ¼ cup of wine. Stir until the wine and soy is absorbed in the rice.
  • Add 2 cups of warmed mushroom stock, stirring every 2-3 minutes until the stock is absorbed. Continue adding stock, 1 cup at a time, allowing stock to absorb before adding more. Stir occasionally to ensure the rice does not stick to the bottom of the pan. The risotto is done once it is chewy to the bite and tender inside. You will not be using all the mushroom broth, you’ll have about a cup or so left.
  • Add the browned mushroom mixture and the hydrated chanterelle mushrooms to the risotto.
  • Add another tablespoon of butter, parmesan, and ¼ cup or more of mushroom stock, stirring to create a creamy texture.
  • Place in a warm serving bowl. Drizzle with truffle oil and top with additional parmesan cheese.

Notes

Keeping Warm: You can keep in a 150-degree oven until ready to serve (covered). The rice will absorb some of the juice. Add more heated broth to recreate the creamy texture just before serving.
Hefty Flavor: Instead of using mushroom base to create a broth, you can substitute beef base. This will create a deeper beefy flavor.
Truffle Oil: Black truffle oil is more expensive than white truffle oil. It has a deeper earthier flavor. White truffle oil works fine in this recipe too.