Mushroom Risotto

I have been on a roll this last month! Not only did I make my own chicken stock, I made my own mushroom stock and then I made risotto with that mushroom stock. MMMMM. I’ll admit that I’ve had mixed results trying to make risotto in the past, mushroom based risotto included. The first time I ever made it, it may have actually been the first dish I ever made that my husband rejected outright. Let’s just say this one did not suffer the same fate.

Like a lot of risotto recipes, this can take awhile. Buckle up if you want to attempt this, probably on a long evening rather than a week night. I’ve got all the time in the world on weeknights right now-- not everyone does. It went great with the lamb chop that we made that night. The broth-wine combo that we use to bulk up the arborio rice comes in very earthy, so it’s a lovely pairing for red meat.

Let’s start with the broth:

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1. Add butter to a preheated medium sized saucepan, melt on medium heat. Once melted, add shallot and cloves of garlic. Allow to become fragrant before adding dried spices and mushrooms. Pour over up to five cups and bring to boil.
   
2. When broth begins to boil, reduce to medium heat and simmer for up to one hour. Allow the mix to reduce.
   
3. When the broth has reduced by almost half, add 1 tbs oil to another saucepan on medium heat. When the oil has heated, add the chopped shallot and allow to grow translucent. 
   
4. When the shallot has sweated out, add 1 cup arborio rice to the saucepan. Mix in with shallot and oil to coat. As your first liquid, pour in the ½ cup of white wine and stir until the rice has absorbed the wine.
   
5. From this point on, it’s a dance from broth to rice. When the wine has evaporated, add about two ladles of broth into the rice and allow the rice to absorb. This process will continue until you have used all of the broth you made. The rice should still have a slightly white center when you are finished.
   
6. Remove from heat and add Parmesan and parsley to your rice. If you want to add some sauteed mushrooms to the top, this would be a good time to saute your preferred mushroom in a skillet on the side while the cheese and the rice get to know each other.