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Risotto
Mains

Risotto

Creamy mushroom risotto with portobello and shiitake sautéed to a noisette point, loosened with a Parmesan broth. Made in a wok on the stove; the broth is a separate recipe that also makes a fine base.

by Gerard

Ingredients

4
  • Base
  • 400 g Arborio rice
    2 cups; Arborio is the easiest to find and needs about twice its volume in broth
  • Mushrooms
  • 2 portobello mushrooms
    large, cleaned; trim the stems and scrape the gills — save them for the Parmesan broth — then dice the caps
  • 500 g shiitake mushrooms
    cleaned; remove the stalks — save them for the Parmesan broth — then dice the caps
  • 45 ml extra-virgin olive oil
    generous — about 3 tbsp; enough to coat and fry the mushrooms
  • Aromatics
  • 2 shallots
    finely diced
  • 1 clove garlic clove
    finely diced
  • 120 ml dry white wine
    1/2 cup; any white wine you normally use for cooking
  • To finish
  • 15 g butter
    1 tbsp, no more than that
  • 50 g Parmesan
    1/2 cup grated, to taste; add more if you like, plus a little for serving
  • to taste salt
  • to taste black pepper
  • to taste white pepper
    optional; brings out the nutty noisette flavor of the mushrooms
  • as needed chives, green onion or fresh parsley
    chopped, to garnish
  • Parmesan Broth
  • 1500 ml water
    6 cups. You can go up to 8 cups for a longer, more diluted broth. The base is water — see the shortcut note below.
  • as needed pre-made broth (chicken bone or veggie)
    optional shortcut: swap some of the water for this to get flavor faster. Use chicken or veggie, not fish. Or use all water — see the note on the water.
  • 2 Parmesan rinds
    optional; you can do without them
  • as needed mushroom trimmings
    the shiitake stalks and the portobello stem and gills saved from cleaning the risotto mushrooms
  • to taste black peppercorns
    a few, directly
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 0.5 onion
    halved
  • 2 clove garlic cloves
    peeled
Tools (4)
  • wok (or large saucepan)
    a wok makes it easier to fit plenty and to stir
  • wooden spoon
  • pressure cooker
    Instant Pot or similar; can also be done on the stove
  • fine-mesh sieve

Steps

  1. Make the Parmesan broth and keep it warm. Clean the portobello portobello mushrooms2large, cleaned; trim the stems and scrape the gills — save them for the Parmesan broth — then dice the caps and shiitake shiitake mushrooms500 gcleaned; remove the stalks — save them for the Parmesan broth — then dice the caps : trim the stems and, for the portobello, scrape away the gills. Put the trimmings aside for the broth, then dice the caps.
  2. Heat the olive oil extra-virgin olive oil45 mlgenerous — about 3 tbsp; enough to coat and fry the mushrooms in the wok wok (or large saucepan)a wok makes it easier to fit plenty and to stir over medium heat. Add the diced mushrooms portobello mushrooms2large, cleaned; trim the stems and scrape the gills — save them for the Parmesan broth — then dice the caps and sauté, stirring now and then, for about 10 to 20 minutes — it depends on how much you put in. Cook until they have given up most of their water, are tender and lightly browned to the noisette point. Season with white pepper white pepperto tasteoptional; brings out the nutty noisette flavor of the mushrooms or black pepper black pepperto taste . Remove the mushrooms from the wok and set aside.
  3. In the same wok wok (or large saucepan)a wok makes it easier to fit plenty and to stir , sauté the shallots shallots2finely diced and garlic garlic clove1 clovefinely diced until they turn translucent and pale-yellow, about 1 to 2 minutes, depending on how hot the pan is. Add the rice Arborio rice400 g2 cups; Arborio is the easiest to find and needs about twice its volume in broth and toast it with the shallots for a couple of minutes, stirring with the wooden spoon wooden spoon , until it is lightly toasted and smells nutty.
  4. Pour in the white wine dry white wine120 ml1/2 cup; any white wine you normally use for cooking and let it be absorbed and evaporate completely.
  5. Add the warm broth one ladle at a time — about half a cup each — stirring constantly and scraping down any rice that clings to the sides so it doesn’t burn. Keep the heat at medium-low and add the next ladle once the previous one has been absorbed. Aim for about 8 ladles (4 cups), then taste. It is more art than science: if the rice isn’t quite done, keep going, but stop while it is just al dente — not overcooked, not raw. The whole process takes about 15 minutes.
  6. When the rice is al punto, stir in the mushrooms portobello mushrooms2large, cleaned; trim the stems and scrape the gills — save them for the Parmesan broth — then dice the caps , the butter butter15 g1 tbsp, no more than that and the Parmesan Parmesan50 g1/2 cup grated, to taste; add more if you like, plus a little for serving , and season with salt saltto taste and pepper black pepperto taste to taste. Mix everything well, taste and adjust.
  7. Serve right away — the rice quickly turns soft and loses its edge — topped with a little extra Parmesan Parmesan50 g1/2 cup grated, to taste; add more if you like, plus a little for serving and a sprinkle of chives chives, green onion or fresh parsleyas neededchopped, to garnish or fresh parsley.
↳ Parmesan Broth

Put the water water1500 ml6 cups. You can go up to 8 cups for a longer, more diluted broth. The base is water — see the shortcut note below. in the pressure cooker pressure cookerInstant Pot or similar; can also be done on the stove with the Parmesan rinds Parmesan rinds2optional; you can do without them , mushroom trimmings mushroom trimmingsas neededthe shiitake stalks and the portobello stem and gills saved from cleaning the risotto mushrooms , black peppercorns black peppercornsto tastea few, directly , bay leaves bay leaves2 , onion onion0.5halved and garlic garlic cloves2 clovepeeled . For a quicker, fuller-flavored broth, swap part of the water for pre-made broth pre-made broth (chicken bone or veggie)as neededoptional shortcut: swap some of the water for this to get flavor faster. Use chicken or veggie, not fish. Or use all water — see the note on the water. .

↳ Parmesan Broth

For the pressure cooker: seal and cook on high pressure for 30 min, then release the pressure. On the stove instead: bring to a simmer and cook gently, covered, for about 1 hour.

↳ Parmesan Broth

Strain through a fine-mesh sieve fine-mesh sieve and discard the solids. Use the broth for the risotto, or let it cool and freeze for later.

Heat the olive oil extra-virgin olive oil45 mlgenerous — about 3 tbsp; enough to coat and fry the mushrooms in the wok wok (or large saucepan)a wok makes it easier to fit plenty and to stir over medium heat. Add the diced mushrooms portobello mushrooms2large, cleaned; trim the stems and scrape the gills — save them for the Parmesan broth — then dice the caps and sauté, stirring now and then, for about 10 to 20 minutes — it depends on how much you put in. Cook until they have given up most of their water, are tender and lightly browned to the noisette point. Season with white pepper white pepperto tasteoptional; brings out the nutty noisette flavor of the mushrooms or black pepper black pepperto taste . Remove the mushrooms from the wok and set aside.

In the same wok wok (or large saucepan)a wok makes it easier to fit plenty and to stir , sauté the shallots shallots2finely diced and garlic garlic clove1 clovefinely diced until they turn translucent and pale-yellow, about 1 to 2 minutes, depending on how hot the pan is. Add the rice Arborio rice400 g2 cups; Arborio is the easiest to find and needs about twice its volume in broth and toast it with the shallots for a couple of minutes, stirring with the wooden spoon wooden spoon , until it is lightly toasted and smells nutty.

Pour in the white wine dry white wine120 ml1/2 cup; any white wine you normally use for cooking and let it be absorbed and evaporate completely.

Add the warm broth one ladle at a time — about half a cup each — stirring constantly and scraping down any rice that clings to the sides so it doesn’t burn. Keep the heat at medium-low and add the next ladle once the previous one has been absorbed. Aim for about 8 ladles (4 cups), then taste. It is more art than science: if the rice isn’t quite done, keep going, but stop while it is just al dente — not overcooked, not raw. The whole process takes about 15 minutes.

When the rice is al punto, stir in the mushrooms portobello mushrooms2large, cleaned; trim the stems and scrape the gills — save them for the Parmesan broth — then dice the caps , the butter butter15 g1 tbsp, no more than that and the Parmesan Parmesan50 g1/2 cup grated, to taste; add more if you like, plus a little for serving , and season with salt saltto taste and pepper black pepperto taste to taste. Mix everything well, taste and adjust.

Serve right away — the rice quickly turns soft and loses its edge — topped with a little extra Parmesan Parmesan50 g1/2 cup grated, to taste; add more if you like, plus a little for serving and a sprinkle of chives chives, green onion or fresh parsleyas neededchopped, to garnish or fresh parsley.