Mushroom-Herb Risotto
James Carrier
Yields Makes 8 cups; about 4 main-dish servings
Notes: Use a combination of two or three types of mushrooms, such as black or yellow chanterelle, crimini, oyster, shiitake, or common. High-quality parmesan cheese is worth the expense in this dish. Garnish servings with curls of the cheese if desired.

How to Make It

Step 1
1

Pour oil into a 5- to 6-quart pan over medium-high heat; when hot, add onion and mushrooms and stir often until onion is limp and liquid has evaporated, 5 to 6 minutes. Add rice and stir until opaque, about 3 minutes.

Step 2
2

Add wine and stir until it's absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 4 1/2 cups broth and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often until rice is tender to bite, 15 to 20 minutes. If a creamier consistency is desired, stir in about 1/2 cup more broth. Stir in cheese, parsley, sage, tarragon, and thyme. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Step 3
3

Cleaning mushrooms: Trim off tough or discolored bottoms of mushroom stems and any bruised spots or blemishes. (For shiitakes and oysters, remove the entire fibrous stem.) For firm mushrooms such as portabellas, wipe dirt off with a damp cloth or place in a colander, rinse thoroughly under cool running water, and pat dry with towels. For delicate mushrooms that have lots of places for dirt to hide, such as chanterelles and hedgehogs, submerge in a bowl of cool water and gently agitate with you hands to loose any particles. Drain, rinse carefully under running water, and gently pat dry with a towel.

Ingredients

 2 tablespoons olive oil
 1 cup finely chopped onion
 1 1/2 pounds fresh mushrooms (see notes), cleaned and thinly sliced (see below)
 1 1/2 cups arborio or medium-grain white rice
 1/2 cup dry white wine
  About 4 1/2 cups fat-skimmed reduced-sodium chicken broth
 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese or other dry Italian cheese (see notes)
 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
  Salt and pepper

Directions

Step 1
1

Pour oil into a 5- to 6-quart pan over medium-high heat; when hot, add onion and mushrooms and stir often until onion is limp and liquid has evaporated, 5 to 6 minutes. Add rice and stir until opaque, about 3 minutes.

Step 2
2

Add wine and stir until it's absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 4 1/2 cups broth and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often until rice is tender to bite, 15 to 20 minutes. If a creamier consistency is desired, stir in about 1/2 cup more broth. Stir in cheese, parsley, sage, tarragon, and thyme. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Step 3
3

Cleaning mushrooms: Trim off tough or discolored bottoms of mushroom stems and any bruised spots or blemishes. (For shiitakes and oysters, remove the entire fibrous stem.) For firm mushrooms such as portabellas, wipe dirt off with a damp cloth or place in a colander, rinse thoroughly under cool running water, and pat dry with towels. For delicate mushrooms that have lots of places for dirt to hide, such as chanterelles and hedgehogs, submerge in a bowl of cool water and gently agitate with you hands to loose any particles. Drain, rinse carefully under running water, and gently pat dry with a towel.

Mushroom-Herb Risotto

Search All of Sunset's Recipes