- 4
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb. oyster mushrooms, fibrous stems removed and reserved for stock; caps torn into pieces like broccoli florets if very large
- Salt to taste
- 1 large shallot, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons extra cooking oil
- 5 cups simmering low sodium chicken stock or mix of stock & water (If you have mushroom stock, better still.)
- 2 cups aborio rice
- 1/2 cup grated dried Parmesan, plus more for serving
Preparation
Step 1
Chop up a few of the tougher ends from oyster mushroom clusters and add to the 5 cups water to make a mushroom broth. Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes. Vegetable of chicken broth can also be used.
In a large, heavy frying pan, heat 3 tablespoons of the vegetable oil over medium heat until very hot, but not quite smoking. Saute the roughly chopped mushrooms, in 3 equal batches, for about 5-10 minutes or until they are soft and tender. Take care not to crowd the pan. Add a small pinch of salt halfway through cooking.
Remove sauteed mushrooms with a slotted spoon and set aside. Repeat with the remaining mushrooms, adding an additional tablespoon of oil per batch. Set mushrooms aside - to be added the last few minutes of cooking.
In a large pot set over medium heat, combine the 2 tablespoons of extra cooking oil and the finely chopped shallot. Cook and stir until the shallot is softened, 3-4 minutes. Do not brown it.
Add the rice. Stir until all of the rice grains are coated in the fat and have become translucent around the edges, about a minute.
Raise the heat to high and immediately add the simmering broth a cup at a time until it is absorbed by the rice. Stir and repeat, adding broth as rice absorbs it. Stir the rice, making sure you get into the corners of your pot with your spoon, so the rice doesn’t stick. A pot with a rounded bottom, that is a saucier, will help to make sure the rice does not stick and burn. Continue stirring until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Add another 1/2 cup of broth and keep stirring.
Continue adding the broth, 1/2 cup at a time, adding more only when the last 1/2 cup has been absorbed. Keep stirring. Depending on the rice, you may use all of the liquid, or you may have some liquid left over. Or you may need to add additional rice. Keep an eye on the rice, tasting a grain at a time at the end, if you need to, to determine when the rice is done.
The rice be close to cooked after 20 minutes. It should be soft but a little firm when bit - al dente. The cy dry rice taste fades with cooking.
Stir in about three-quarters of the reserved sauteed mushrooms. Add the Parmesan cheese. Taste and correct for salt.
To serve: spoon risotto into a bowl. Top with some of the remaining sauteed mushrooms and more cheese if liked.