Creamy Mushroom Risotto
Creamy Mushroom Risotto without most of the hands on stirring but with all of the texture? It’s true! The perfect combination of flavors, textures, and as simple as I could imagine. Of course, I had to personalize the recipe to get the flavors I was craving. It really came together wonderfully, just as I had hoped.
I wasn’t planning to sidestep the fully hands-on process but, I found a recipe in the latest America’s Test Kitchen Twentieth Anniversary cookbook for an almost hands-free process. The recipe is easily adaptable and you can add what you enjoy. You can easily substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth for a vegetarian version. You can probably get away with skipping the white wine and just use additional water and lemon juice. I don’t recommend any substitutions for the butter or cheese though, you’re not going to get the silky, creamy texture that risotto needs, in my opinion.
I was trying to duplicate the perfect creamy mushroom risotto from a late night in Reno. It was too late for a seating at the steakhouse, but we were able to order from the kitchen at the bar. Many things develop a fabled existence from that perspective, but it was really that good. This delivered everything except the shenanigans surrounding the original experience.
Creamy Mushroom Risotto
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth vegetable broth if you prefer
- 1 cup water
- 6 tbsp butter
- 1 shallot diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ¾ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 tsp lemon juice about 1/2 lemon
- 6 button mushrooms sliced
- 6 cremini mushrooms sliced
- 2 tbsp cognac or sherry, or white wine, or skip completely
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 green onions sliced
Instructions
Directions
- Bring broth to a boil in a saucepan over high heat then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer. Measure out the water and set aside.
- Heat 2 tbsp butter in a heavy bottom Dutch oven over medium heat. When butter has melted, add shallot and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until shallot is softened, but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add rice and cook, stirring frequently, until grains are translucent around the edges, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add wine and cook, stirring constantly until fully absorbed, 2-3 minutes. Stir in simmering broth, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until almost all liquid has been absorbed and rice is just al-dente, 16-19 minutes, stirring twice during cooking.
- While rice is cooking, add mushrooms to a skillet over medium heat with 1/4 cup water and cover with a lid until mushrooms soften, about 2 minutes. Remove lid and stir, allow water to evaporate. Add 2 tbsp butter and stir until melted, add cognac if using, and reduce heat to low until liquid is evaporated then turn heat off.
- When rice has finished cooking, add 1/2 cup of water, stirring gently and constantly until risotto becomes creamy, about 3 minutes. Stir in Parmesan cheese and mushrooms. Remove pot from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 2 tbsp butter, lemon juice, and adjust salt and pepper to taste. If the risotto is too stiff, stir in 1/4 – 1/2 cup of water until the consistency is to your liking. Top with sliced green onions and serve.
