Wild Mushroom Risotto

Hi friends,

It’s Fridayyyyyyyyyy!    

I love risotto and I love wild mushrooms. So when I first made this wild mushroom risotto, I might have shed happy tears. The first time I ever had wild mushroom risotto, I was on a date with Abdel. We went to this very fancy Italian restaurant in Miami. I remember meekly asking the waiter what was his favorite dish, instantaneously he said “well that has to be risotto”. I ordered a bowl and my love affair with this oh-so comforting dish began. I had it once a month, I just could not be stopped. I would find myself dreaming about a big ol bowl of creamy mushroom risotto. 

Now there are dozens and dozens of variations to Risotto. You can change it up by stirring in fresh pumpkin, adding lots of fresh herbs, or spring vegetables…you name it, it can be added to your risotto base. This is one of those things like a quiche or a frittata that you can add whatever you like. If you have those errant vegetables in the fridge,  you can add them. It will be magical, I promise.

And though I’ve had all those variations nothing says risotto better than the first version i ever had: wild mushroom risotto. In this recipe I added frozen peas, because well I might be having a slight obsession with peas at the moment ( don’t judge me).  I’ve always said, “If you teach a man to cook risotto, he will never go hungry because really who has time to go fishing?”  

The only downside (if it qualifies as a down side) to Risotto, is that it takes around thirty minutes to make. Those thirty minutes are spent adding in broth to your rice then stirring (and repeating that about 6 times) until it reaches the right texture.

When you make this wild mushroom risotto you are literally tied to the pot— well maybe not literally tied but you get the idea. You are literally going to be slaving over the pot though —well maybe not literally slaving over the pot  but you get the idea again. But when it is done…. man oh man –is it GOOD! 

So lets do this!

PRO TIP: The key to a good risotto is to stir constantly and to also make sure your broth is heated up.

5 from 3 votes

Wild Mushroom Risotto

Nothing says risotto better than the first version that I had… wild mushroom risotto. In this recipe I added frozen peas.

Servings 8

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Ingredients

• 2 cups Parmesan
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 1 Onion
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 1 pound Arborio Rice
• 7 cups to 8 Cups Vegetable Broth
• 16 oz baby portobello mushrooms
• 8 oz porcini mushroom rehydrated
• 1 cup of frozen peas
• Salt And Pepper to taste

Instructions

• Grate 2 cups of cheese and set aside. Finely dice 3 cloves of garlic. Dice 1 large onion( this is when you want to make them small and pretty). Heat vegetable broth on medium heat in a separate pot. Take out 1 cup of your broth and add to the dried porchini mushrooms. Allow to rehydrate then remove the mushrooms making sure you get rid of the grit from the mushrooms. set aside.
• Heat a large pot (I used my dutch oven) over medium-low heat and add 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil. Then add 1 tablespoon of butter. Throw in the garlic and onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add your mushrooms.
• Add 1 pound of Arborio Rice and stir to coat the rice thoroughly.
• Adding 2 ladles at a time, add 7-8 cups of broth, stirring constantly after each addition. As soon as it appears that the rice has absorbed each helping of broth, add in the next helping. Do not stop stirring. This process will take at least 20 minutes. Rice is done when it no longer has a hard bite.
• Next add the grated cheese and stir thoroughly. Add in plenty of fresh cracked pepper. Add salt to taste. Make it now and thank me later…Enjoy!!!

Author: Ann