Risotto Recipe
Ingredients:
2 cups of chopped mushrooms ( shiitake cremini)
1 large onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh or dried thyme
2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley (optional)
2 tbsp fresh chopped chives (optional)
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup arborio rice ( rinsed)
6 cups water
1 tbsp of vegetable broth powder or 1 bouillon
1 tsp sea salt and 1 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp earth balance vegan butter
lemon wedge
Serves 4 people
Tools:
-knife
-cutting board
-measuring cups
-measuring spoon
-wooden stir spoon
-small pot ( big enough to hold 6 cups of water)
-large soup pot
-medium sized bowl
Directions:
1.) Chop mushrooms, onion and garlic and set aside. In small cooking pot put 6 cups of water on to boil. Rinse and drain your rice.
2.) Place 2 tbsp of olive oil into large soup pot and turn heat on medium/high. Place onion and garlic into pot and stir to cover evenly and cook. When the onions start to become translucent, lower the heat a little and make a small space in the middle of the pot, place 1/2 tsp of cumin to release the essence. Let it do that for 1 minute then stir all together. add thyme, stir and cook for one minute.
3.) Next add in your chopped mushrooms and stir. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper. Cook for 5 mins, mushrooms should start to get tender and a little juicy. Add in the 1/4 cup of white wine and stir all together. Let that cook for 5 mins on low heat stirring every 3 mins.
4.) By now your water should be boiling. Stir in the vegetable broth base (powder or bouillon), 1/4 cup white wine. Lower heat. Get your ladle ( or use a 1/2 cup liquid measuring cup) ready and your rice.
5.) Lower heat on mushroom mix to just below medium ( want to be a little more than simmer, but not much higher). Add in one cup of arborio rice to the mushroom mixture and stir all together. Ladle in one full spoon ( or 1/2 cup) into rice and mushroom mixture and stir.
NOTE: This is the KEY part! Please stay present with your pot. Watch the rice and keep stirring it, every 30 seconds. You want to listen and watch the rice. The rice is absorbing the liquid and you want it to do that slowly and evenly. Stir with wooden spoon ( works best IMO), scrape from the bottom of the pot to mix it all together every 2-3 mins.
The Method: Pour in liquid, let it cook for 3 mins, then stir and repeat. Liquid intervals allows for the alchemy of the rice to cook( it needs time) and prevents it from burning on the bottom (it’s ok if it sticks-use some elbow grease to scrape the bottom of the pot-the crispy oily rice is full of flavor). Intervals and stirring allows for even liquid distribution and proper cooking of the rice.
6.)Continue to ladle in liquid every 3 mins or once it looks like most of the liquid has been absorbed. Watch and listen. ladle, big stir, let it chill then repeat until all the broth is used up and the risotto is tender Aldente and has a gooey/creamy consistency, like a mush. Taste it. Watch the risotto, see how it starts to get more creamy with every new stir and pour. Cooking is magic!
7.) Once the liquid is used up and your risotto looks and tastes delicious, turn off the burner and remove from heat. Add in 2 tbsp of earth balance butter and stir it all in so the butter melts and distributed. Add in chives and parsley, stir and save some to garnish when serving. Taste and adjust salt and pepper accordingly. Top it off with herbs, a drizzle of olive oil, ground black pepper and squeeze of lemon. Serve right away with a side of arugula tossed in lemon juice and olive oil if you desire. Enjoy!
Note: Depending on your burner heat and distribution you may need more or less water. I would use 4-6 cups of liquid . Don’t be afraid to adjust for what works for you +what you have access too. use any mushrooms you like, use a mix- really enjoy baby bella and shiitake. The most important part is to keep stirring and slowing adding the liquid in increments, being present with your cooking and that it tastes good to you.