mushroom and rosemary risotto
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Traditionally, risotto is made with Arborio rice which is a small grain, high in starch. It’s the starch that make the risotto creamy. I know I’m going to make good chefs cry with this statement, but I use plain old long grain rice because it’s cheaper and it tastes fine.
To stir or not to stir? I used to cook my risotto without stirring, just turn the heat down low, wack on a lid and come back half an hour later. This method makes risotto (if I’m allowed to call it that) really easy. However, it is so much better if you take the time to stir the risotto as it cooks (although I note on Masterchef they say never stir but ‘agitate the pan gently’). You’re also supposed to heat the stock before adding it to the rice, which I’m sure would speed up the cooking process, but I don’t bother with that either (one less pan to wash). So I guess the only rule is: cook it however you like.
I usually use my own homemade stock which makes this dish very inexpensive, less than $3 for a meal for two.
Mushroom and Rosemary Risotto
Mushroom risotto seems like a fancy restaurant dish but it's easy to make, tastes delicious and is fairly inexpensive to make.
Ingredients
- 400g of button mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
- 1/2 onion, finely diced
- 1 clove of garlic, crushed
- 1.5 cups of arborio rice
- splash of white wine (optional)
- 1-2 litre or so of chicken or vegetable stock
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan fry mushrooms and rosemary in a little butter until mushrooms are just cooked. Remove from pan.
- In the same saucepan, add a little more butter or olive oil and sauté onion and garlic over medium heat until onion is translucent.
- Add rice and stir for a minute or two to coat in oil. If you are using wine, add it now and stir until it is absorbed by the rice.
- Add the stock a good slosh at a time (about 1/4 cup) and stir until absorbed then add some more. Keep adding stock until the rice is cooked through. You may not need all the stock.
- Stir in the parmesan and the cream if using, season and taste. Finally, gently stir in the mushrooms.
- Serve with crusty bread and a salad.
Notes
You can use any rice. Other varieties of rice may need more stock.
Add as much stock as you need until the rice is al dente or cooked to your liking.
It is traditional to heat the stock first and you can if you like but I find it works out just fine when I add room temperature stock.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 443Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 139mgSodium: 459mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 40g
Nutritional information is calculated automatically using the Nutritionix database. Nutrition information can vary for a recipe based on factors such as precision of measurements, brands, ingredient freshness, serving size or the source of nutrition data. We strive to keep the information as accurate as possible but make no warranties regarding its accuracy. We encourage readers to make their own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
