Mushroom Risotto

My wife is a huge fan of risotto, and it is something that I do not make very often. In the most recent weeks, I came across a thought of making a risotto. I planned on making this dish accompanied by a beef tenderloin while relatives were in town, however due to other arrangements, we never really got to host a dinner. With that said, I thought I would wrap up this holiday season with a mushroom risotto for my wife.

Keep in mind that I think a lot of people might be intimidated by the idea of making a risotto, however I am here to tell you that it is really pretty simple to make, and takes only a bit of patience as you have to stir quiet a bit. No big deal, right? Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of Arborio rice (Italian short grain rice, used for making risotto)
• 4 tbsp of olive oil
• Mushroom medley, finely chopped (I used dried porcini, morel, lobster, and shitake) and reconstituted with 2 cups of boiling water (to be reserved for later use
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 1/2 tbsp of dried Tarragon
• 1 cup of white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)
• 4 cups, approximately good chicken broth
• 1 cup of mushroom water (see above)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Grated Parmesan Reggiano (optional)

Begin by adding the mushrooms to the boiling water and let reconstitute for nearly 25 minutes. Remove them when done and finely chop. To a saute pan, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and to that add your shallots and mushrooms. Cook for roughly four minutes, remove from heat, and set aside.

Next, to your larger pot, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and bring to a medium to high heat. Add in the aborio rice, mix well, and let cook for a few minutes, stirring on occassion until it is a light golden color. Now here is the trick, and you must stick with the trick, and that is when you are adding your liquids, you will want to keep stirring while the liquid evaporates while cooking the rice. So, add your white wine and tarragon, and cook this until fully evaporated, continuing to stir. Throw in 2 cups of the chicken stock, and cook and stir until evaporated, and continue this process with the remaining stock. Begin tasting for tenderness. You want the risotto to be creamy and tender. Once done, season with salt and pepper, mix in the mushrooms, and grated cheese. Serve immediately.