Mushroom Risotto alla Milanese

Risotto has its beginnings in Northern Italy, specifically in Milan. The history of the development of the dish is fascinating. If you want to know more, you can read all about it in this essay by John Irving, written for the Gourmet Traveler. The dish combined rice with saffron, butter, and cheese.

Today, the whole world loves risotto and there are endless variations with all sorts of additions, including seafood and vegetables. Mushrooms were one of the earliest embellishments.

Different varieties of mushrooms have subtle differences in flavor and texture. I like combining several kinds in this risotto. Get what you can find/what you can afford. Shiitakes are a must for me, for their deep umami flavor. I always add oyster mushrooms and beech mushrooms (they’re always available in my market). Also nice are porcini, chanterelles, morels ($$$!)…the list goes on. You can definitely use some white mushrooms to bring the mixture up to weight and save some pennies.

As for the stock, you can use chicken stock, no-chicken stock, or vegetable stock, but my preference is to start with a good mushroom stock. You’ll be already on your way to building a rich mushroom flavor.

This is decadently rich and so creamy. You can leave out the actual cream, but a little bit takes this risotto to the level of fabulous.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb mushrooms, preferably several kinds

• 1 small shallot

• 2 large cloves finely minced garlic

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided (preferably European style)

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• ½ cup finely minced onion

• 1 ½ cups arborio or carnaroli rice

• ¼ teaspoon crumbled saffron threads

• 1/3 cup dry white wine or vermouth

• 5-6 cups mushroom stock (homemade or store-bought)

• About 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

• ½ cup heavy cream

• ½ cup freshly grated parmesan (or other hard, grating Italian cheese)

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Chopped parsley for garnish

Method:

• Prepare the mushrooms: Leave small mushrooms whole, cut larger mushrooms into halves or quarters, or whatever seems to make sense for the particular mushroom.

• Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet. Sauté the shallot for a minute or two until it’s softened, then add the garlic and sauté for another minute.

• Add the mushrooms with a pinch of salt and a twist of the pepper mill, and let them cook over medium heat until they give off their liquid, then reabsorb it, and then begin to brown at the edges. This will really let their flavors shine. Do it in two batches if necessary; don’t overcrowd the pot. When the mushrooms are cooked, transfer them to a bowl and set them aside.

• You’ll need two pots—one for cooking the risotto, the other for keeping the stock hot and ready to go. Pour the stock into its pot and get it started.

• In a medium sized saucepan, add 2 tablespoons of butter and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onion and sauté it until it’s soft and translucent.

• Add the rice to the pot and stir, making sure that all the grains are coated in the butter, then let it cook for about a minute.

• Add the saffron and the thyme leaves and add the white wine.

• Simmer until the wine is mostly evaporated, stirring to deglaze the pot and to keep the rice from sticking.

• Add about 2 cups of the stock to the rice and simmer it very softly, stirring often, until most of the stock is absorbed. Then, add another cup of stock and repeat the process.

• Continue cooking the rice and adding stock, a little at a time, stirring often. Once you’ve added about 4 cups of stock, stir in ¾ of the mushrooms. From this point on, you’ll want to be stirring your risotto almost constantly.

• Continue to cook the rice, adding more stock in the same way you’ve been doing. After 5 cups of stock, bite into a grain of rice. You want the rice to be tender, not hard, but still with a bit of tooth to it, or in Italian, al dente. Add more stock if needed.

• If, after you’ve used up the 6 cups of stock, the rice is still not tender to your liking, add some hot water and continue to cook, stirring, until you’re satisfied with the texture. It should take about 25-30 minutes in total.

• Swirl in the cream, the grated cheese, and the remaining butter, and cook, stirring, for another minute until your risotto is hot and creamy. Taste for salt and pepper.

• The finished dish should not sit on the plate in a lump; it should have enough liquid to pool, without being soupy. If it’s too thin, cook another minute or so. If it’s too thick, add a bit more liquid.

• Plate your risotto into individual flat bowls and top them with the remaining mushrooms. Sprinkle with a bit of parsley as a garnish.

• Serve the risotto with extra grated cheese on the side.

Note: The right way to eat risotto is with a soup spoon, not a fork. You should begin eating from the sides of the dish, working towards the middle, which will keep the rice from cooling off too quickly.