Wild Mushroom Risotto

Wild mushroom risotto is earthy and unbelievably rich. It takes some time at the stove, but is well worth it for a special dinner.

Yield 8 servings
Time 45-60 minutes
Tools
  • large, heavy saucepan
  • wooden spoon
  • saucepan (for stock)*
Ingredients
  • 4 T butter, margarine, or oil
  • 6 shallots OR 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 pound assorted fresh OR 2 ounces dried wild mushrooms**
  • 1 pound arborio or other risotto rice
  • ½ c dry white wine
  • 10 c vegetable stock, hot*
  • 1½ c Parmesan cheese, grated OR ½-¾ c nutritional yeast
  • salt
  • pepper
Directions Heat 3 T butter, margarine, or oil over medium heat. Add shallots or onions and sauté, stirring frequently, until soft and almost clear, about 2 minutes.

Stir in mushrooms* and cook for 5 minutes, until soft. Add rice and stir constantly for 5 minutes, until well mixed.

Stirring constantly: add white wine and simmer until absorbed. Add 1 c of stock, stir until absorbed, and repeat 8 more times, until rice is soft and 1 c of stock remains.

Stir in cheese or yeast, salt, pepper, and remaining 1 T butter. Remove from heat and taste. Risotto should have a very slight hardness in the center and be soft and creamy. Add remaining stock, if desired, and adjust seasonings. Serve immediately.

Notes *Keep the vegetable stock in a pan over low heat so that it stays hot, though not boiling.

**If using dried mushrooms, you’ll need to reconstitute them ahead of time by soaking them in hot water for at least 20 minutes, until soft. You can use the water (minus any grit at the bottom) in place of an equal amount of vegetable stock.

The Everything Vegetarian CookbookAdapted from Jay Weinstein’s The Everything Vegetarian Cookbook. The recipe calls for shaved truffle on top, but I find that the wild mushrooms offer plenty of flavor without truffles.

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