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Creamy Mushroom Risotto

Creamy Mushroom Risotto

A good mushroom risotto is creamy and loose, with each grain of rice still a little firm in the center and the whole dish flowing slowly across the plate. It does not need cream. The creaminess comes from the starch that the rice releases as you stir in warm stock a ladle at a time, finished with butter and parmesan.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb mixed mushrooms cremini, shiitake, oyster or chanterelle, sliced
  • 3 tbsp olive oil divided
  • 3 tbsp butter divided
  • 5 cups vegetable or chicken stock kept warm
  • 1 shallot large, finely chopped, or 1/2 onion
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or Carnaroli
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine or extra stock
  • 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano plus more for serving
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tsp salt plus more to taste
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped

Method
 

  1. Warm the stock in a saucepan over low heat. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wide, heavy pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms in a single layer and cook without stirring for 3 minutes, then stir and keep cooking until browned and their liquid has evaporated, 6–8 minutes more. Season with a pinch of salt, add the thyme and 1 tablespoon butter, then transfer to a bowl.
  2. Lower the heat to medium. Add the remaining oil and the shallot and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.
  3. Add the rice and stir for 2 minutes, until the grains are coated and the edges look translucent.
  4. Pour in the wine and stir until it is almost completely absorbed.
  5. Add a ladle of warm stock and stir until it is mostly absorbed. Continue adding stock one ladle at a time, stirring frequently, for 18–22 minutes, until the rice is creamy and tender with a slight bite.
  6. Stir in most of the mushrooms, the parmesan, the remaining butter and the salt. Add one more splash of stock so the risotto is loose, cover and rest for 2 minutes. Serve topped with the reserved mushrooms, parsley and extra cheese.

Notes

  • Keep the stock warm; cold stock slows cooking and makes the rice gummy.
  • Risotto thickens as it sits, so serve it slightly looser than you think it should be.