Savory Mushroom Risotto

Rich and creamy, this Mushroom Risotto recipe is not only comforting but makes for a delicious, elegant meal. This classic Italian dish may look impressive, but it is surprisingly easy to make from scratch. Made with arborio rice, mushrooms, and parmesan, this risotto is bursting with nutty and rich flavors.

Ingredients:
4 cups chicken stock (960ml)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 medium shallots, peeled and finely chopped
10 ounces shiitake mushrooms, sliced (280g)
1 cup arborio rice (220g)
1 cup dry white wine (240ml)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (40g)
1 tablespoon chives, plus more for garnish

Instructions:
In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil over high heat. Turn off the heat but leave the saucepan on the burner and cover to keep warm.
In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil and butter over medium heat. Once the butter is melted and starting to bubble, add the shallots. Cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots are tender and just starting to brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are very tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Stir in the rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until rice becomes translucent and fragrant, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the wine, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir constantly until the wine has evaporated completely, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add one ladle (about ½ cup) of warm broth to the rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until the broth is almost completely absorbed. Repeat the process, adding one ladle of broth at a time, until the rice is thickened, tender, and creamy, about 30 to 35 minutes more. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and chives. Serve immediately and garnish with chives, if desired.

Notes:
– If you don’t want to use wine in your risotto, add more chicken stock and a splash of lemon juice to brighten the risotto.
– Make sure you don’t let the chicken stock cool down. Adding cold broth to the risotto will shock the rice and stop the starches from being released.
– Don’t add all the chicken stock to the mushroom risotto at once. Adding the stock slowly allows for the rice to absorb the liquid and flavors fully.
– Have everything prepped and ready before you start, and make sure you have an hour of uninterrupted time when making risotto. You must constantly stir the risotto to ensure nothing sticks and burns on the bottom of the pan. Stirring will also yield a creamier texture, as when the grains of rice rub against each other, they release starch.
– If the risotto is too thick for your liking, stir in a splash of stock at a time to loosen it up to your desired texture.
– When you add the wine, deglaze the pot! Deglazing is scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pot as you stir. Scraping the caramelized bits left in the bottom of a pot will add a ton of flavor to the risotto.
– Don’t crank up the heat to rush the risotto. You do not want the rice to boil, instead you want it to simmer gently.
– Avoid using a large, wide pot. A wider pot allows the risotto to cook too quickly and encourages evaporation, leading to a less creamy risotto. A wide pot also leads to your risotto cooking in a thin layer, so the rice won’t be able to bump into each other as much, releasing less starch.

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