On a recent weekend, Kelly & Gilbert were at a farmers’ market with friends where they found wild mushrooms for sale. Kelly excitedly bought a variety of them for Eric. We both started searching for recipes in which to use the mushrooms. I came up with a mushroom tart recipe I wanted to try them in and Eric came up with a risotto recipe he wanted to make using the mushrooms. Eric won. And rightfully so. This risotto was creamily exquisite.

I am usually against having risotto for dinner when Eric suggests it. I don’t know why I continue to resist it when every time Eric makes it for us, I love it. It’s probably because it takes patience and time, two things I don’t have at the end of the day when it is time to make dinner. I tend to be tired and hungry in the late afternoon with little patience for a slow cooking dish needing constant attention. Not that Eric expects or asks me to make the risotto. Eric enjoys making any kind of risotto himself. He often states that when he retires, he plans to open a risotto restaurant. I don’t think he is joking. And I know it would do well with Eric at the helm making a variety of risottos. Maybe he’ll hire me to bake bread and make desserts!

Wild Mushroom Risotto

Wild Mushroom Risotto (adapted from bonappetit.com)

Makes 6 first-course or 4 main dish servings, Total time required: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 9 1/2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh wild mushrooms, large ones sliced, small ones halved or quartered
• salt & pepper, divided
• 7 cups (about) vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 leek, (3/4 cup) finely chopped, white and pale green parts only, rinsed well
• 1 1/4 cups arborio rice (8 to 9 ounces)
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup dry white vermouth
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for serving

Preparation:

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy, large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/4 of mushrooms and sprinkle them with salt. Sauté the mushrooms until they are tender and beginning to brown, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Sauté the mushrooms

Transfer the mushrooms to a medium bowl. Working in 3 more batches, repeat with 2 tablespoons of butter, and salt & pepper each time, until all the remaining mushrooms are sautéed. Set them aside.

Reserve the mushrooms until later.

Bring 7 cups of broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Keep it warm while preparing the risotto. Melt the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter along with the olive oil in a heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the leeks, sprinkle them with salt, and sauté them until they are tender, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Sauté the leek.

Add the rice and increase the heat to medium. Stir the risotto until the edges of the rice begin to look translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the rice into the cooked leeks.

Add the white wine and vermouth and stir until the liquid is absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 3/4 cup warm broth, stirring until almost all of the broth is absorbed, about 1 minute.

Start adding the broth to the rice in small batches.

Continue adding broth by 3/4 cupfuls, stirring until almost all the broth is absorbed before adding more, until the rice is halfway cooked, about 10 minutes. Stir in the sautéed mushrooms.

Add the mushrooms into the risotto.

Continue adding broth by 3/4 cupfuls, stirring until almost all the broth is absorbed before adding more, until rice is tender but still firm to bite and the risotto is creamy, about 10 minutes.

The rice needs to absorb the liquid before more is added.

Stir in the 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese. Transfer the risotto to a serving bowl and serve with additional Parmesan cheese alongside it, if desired.

Eric makes the best risotto!

Patience pays off when making risotto.

Don’t be too intimidated to make risotto. It is worth it!  ~Linda

Wild Mushroom Risotto (adapted from bonappetit.com)

Makes 6 first-course servings, Total time required: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 9 1/2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh wild mushrooms, large ones sliced, small ones halved or quartered
• salt & pepper, divided
• 7 cups (about)  vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 leek, (3/4 cup) finely chopped, white and pale green parts only, rinsed well
• 1 1/4 cups arborio rice (8 to 9 ounces)
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup dry white vermouth
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for serving

Preparation:

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy, large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/4 of mushrooms and sprinkle them with salt. Sauté the mushrooms until they are tender and beginning to brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a medium bowl. Working in 3 more batches, repeat with 2 tablespoons of butter, and salt & pepper each time, until all the remaining mushrooms are sautéed.

Bring 7 cups of broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Keep it warm while preparing the risotto. Melt the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter along with the olive oil in a heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the leeks, sprinkle them with salt, and sauté them until they are tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the rice and increase the heat to medium. Stir the risotto until the edges of the rice begin to look translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the white wine and vermouth and stir until the liquid is absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 3/4 cup warm broth, stirring until almost all of the broth is absorbed, about 1 minute. Continue adding broth by 3/4 cupfuls, stirring until almost all the broth is absorbed before adding more, until the rice is halfway cooked, about 10 minutes. Stir in the sautéed mushrooms. Continue adding broth by 3/4 cupfuls, stirring until almost all the broth is absorbed before adding more, until rice is tender but still firm to bite and the risotto is creamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in the 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese. Transfer the risotto to a serving bowl and serve with additional Parmesan cheese alongside it, if desired.