Mushroom Risotto
Creamy, slow-stirred risotto loaded with garlicky, butter-golden mushrooms folded through and piled on top. Comforting enough for a weeknight, elegant enough for a dinner party.
- Mushrooms
- 500g (1 lb) mushrooms, sliced 1/8-inch thick
- 250g (1/2 lb) mushrooms, quartered
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each
- Risotto
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 eschallots / French onions, finely chopped (or 1/2 onion)
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 1/4 cups arborio rice, uncooked
- 5 cups chicken broth/stock, low sodium, warm
- Finishes
- 1/2 cup cream, optional but recommended
- 2 tablespoons (30g) butter, optional
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each
- Serving
- Finely chopped parsley or chives
- Parmesan, freshly grated
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and half the butter in a large, heavy pot over high heat. Once melted, add half the sliced and quartered mushrooms and cook until deeply golden brown, about 4 minutes — resist stirring too often so the mushrooms actually brown instead of steaming.
- Add half the garlic along with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and continue cooking until well golden, about 1.5 minutes more. Remove to a bowl, then repeat the entire process with the remaining mushrooms, oil, butter, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Turn the heat down to medium. In the same pot, melt the tablespoon of butter, then add the minced garlic and chopped shallots. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the shallots turn translucent but not browned.
- Pour in the white wine and let it simmer rapidly for about 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, until it's mostly evaporated.
- Add the arborio rice and stir for about 1 minute, until the grains look semi-translucent around the edges.
- Add about 1.5 cups of the warm stock, stir, then let it sit for around 3 minutes, stirring just occasionally, until mostly absorbed. Continue adding stock about 1.5 cups at a time, stirring every so often rather than constantly, until all of it has been incorporated and the rice is just cooked but the risotto is still loose and creamy, about 10 minutes total.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cream and the optional 2 tablespoons of butter vigorously to bring everything together into a glossy, creamy texture. Stir in the parmesan, salt, and pepper.
- Fold half of the golden mushrooms through the risotto, then taste and adjust the seasoning. The consistency should be loose and creamy, not stiff or stodgy. Reheat the remaining mushrooms briefly.
- Spoon the risotto into bowls and top with the reserved mushrooms, including any buttery juices pooled underneath. Garnish with parsley or chives and extra parmesan, and serve immediately.
Chef's Note: Browning the mushrooms separately and setting most of them aside is the real secret here — cooked directly into the rice, they'd release moisture and lose the deep golden color that carries so much of the dish's flavor. Adding the stock gradually, a cup and a half at a time, gives the rice room to slowly release its starches, which is what builds risotto's signature creamy texture without any cream at all — the cream at the end is a bonus, not a requirement.
Real restaurant-style risotto is loose enough to spread slightly on a plate rather than holding a firm mound, so don't be afraid to keep it on the sloppier side of creamy. Leftovers keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge — reheat with a splash of milk and stir well to bring back that silky consistency.
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