Mushroom risotto

Delicious Mushroom Risotto is easier than you think with this eazy peazy method! If you love the creamy, deliciousness of risotto but have always been intimidated by the thought of making it yourself, this is the recipe for you.

You get creamy mushroom risotto, that is perfectly seasoned without the headache of a temperamental recipe. With a simple method like this one and vigilance while cooking, you can have Mushroom Risotto cooked to perfection right in your very own home.

Serve it with Lemon Rosemary Grilled Chicken and Roasted Carrots for a complete and tasty meal.

Truly all that goes into making risotto is just:

Adding liquid to rice
Stirring
Letting liquid, absorb
Repeating the process until the desired consistency is reached.
That’s it. Nothing to lose sleep over.

I think many are intimidated by risotto because it is something you see on the menu in fancy restaurants. Or, you have heard that it is challenging to get the consistency just right. It can be easy to mess up if you don’t know what to watch out for.

However this doesn’t have to mean it is impossible to make. In fact I bet many of you make dishes that are more difficult to make than risotto, seriously.

So give yourself a little credit here and get ready to make a dish that parades around like a high maintenance meal, but is really just a little bit misunderstood.

Risotto is more of a technique than a recipe. And once you have mastered the method, and understand how to make the soffrito, toast the rice, and add the broth one ladle full at a time, to allow the creamy starches to do their magic, the world of risotto will open to you.

You can then customize the risotto with whatever delicious extras you want–In this case MUSHROOMS!!!

Don’t let intimidation keep you from the joy of this creamy, ever so satisfying dish. Eating risotto is truly an experience and it is one that I want each of you to have.

Keep the following in mind to achieve the best results:

Use the right pan: Smaller, deeper, heavy-bottomed sauce pans are best! These will maintain temp better, and thus allow the rice to cook while preventing the stock from evaporating or cooking off too fast.
Use the right rice! Risotto is rice, not pasta, and for this recipe I recommend using Arborio, as it is the easiest to find and the most common of risotto rice. However, if you can find carnaroli rice, it is great for risotto as it is harder to mess up! And if you can find or order vialone nano rice then it is awesome because it will give you a silky, creamy, amazing risotto. But it is more expensive and harder to find.
Be Prepared: Whether or not you are a boy scout, the motto of being prepared is essential for risotto. You want to make sure before you ever step up to the stove and start cooking, that everything is measured, chopped, and ready to go. Risotto takes some precision, and can be messed up easily if you are taking time to measure out your ingredients or chop up something.

Cook mushrooms separately. While I love a good one pot meal, and advocate for easy and low mess, when it comes to risotto, you will get the best results by dirtying a few different pans. Heat your broth separate, and cook your mushrooms separate. You want to do this because then they will be cooked to the right consistency, and so you can have better control over the risotto. You want it to cook evenly, and the mushrooms can mess with that.
Sauté your Arborio rice first. This is going to help the starches develop flavor. which is critical for your finished dish. Just make sure you do not overcook the rice when sautéing. Cook just long enough for it to start to turn translucent and very slightly golden.

Warm your broth. This is the #1 TIP and the secret to faster, creamier risotto at home. By adding warmed broth to warmed rice, you can get more starch out of each grain, resulting in a creamier risotto without overcooking. Cold broth takes longer to heat up in the risotto pan, and the difference in temperature can cause the grains to hold on to their starches instead of releasing them for that amazing creaminess. You re going to use a ladle to add half a cup of warmed broth to your rice at a time, as it simmers and cooks. It is wise to keep some extra broth on hand and warmed in case you need it.
Stir Baby Stir: Don’t boil your risotto, rather simmer it. And let it continue to simmer as it cooks. But stay there and stir constantly. This is the hardest part of cooking risotto, stirring for the 20 minutes or so it takes to make it.

Arborio rice is a short grained, Italian rice that is a must have ingredient for risotto. In recipes like this we use a long grained rice, for risotto you want a starchier rice, as it adds to the creaminess factor in Mushroom Risotto and other risottos, as well. I can’t stress enough that you need a starchier, short grained Italian rice to really make a good risotto.