Baby Portobello Mushrooms Risotto

After a fine dinning experience, cooking is a challenge for me. How can you be proud of something you put on the table after being overwhelmed by cooking genius? But, hey, you have to eat and I rather face my cooking than go out to some place and eat bad food. The only think we have to do is to take the good experiences and use them as inspiration.

And so, there I was yesterday evening, struggling to say yes to everything that was coming to my mind that qualified for dinner. I opened the fridge for some more ideas hopping those would satisfy me enough to take the risk. I glimpsed some baby portobello mushrooms among the veggies and I remembered that I had some home made mushroom stock in the freezer and... voila! I had my dinner! I was going to cook mushroom risotto.

Here it is my recipe for baby portobello mushroom risotto (it will serve two as main course).

You can use water to cook the risotto but if you want to have a really flavorful dish, allow yourself 15 minutes extra to make some mushroom stock. It is super easy and it is so worth the extra time. So, start by cleaning half a package of mushrooms (around 1 cup). Do not wash your mushrooms. Clean them with a kitchen brush or a clean towel. The reason why most of us see our mushrooms pour out almost all their weight in water when we try to sauteed them is because we wash them. Mushrooms tend to absorb the water and when we wash them and then pour them into a hot pan, we are basically asking for them to pour out all the water they absorbed and, with that,  all their nutritious content and flavor. They will turn into a mushy and flavorless thing. 

After cleaning the mushrooms, cut them into quarters or eighths, depending on their size. Make sure all the pieces have around the same size so they can cook evenly. In a small pan, put 3 tablespoons of butter and turn the stove to medium. When the butter foam has subsided, add the mushrooms and sauteed them for 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of chopped scallions, salt and pepper, and cover the pan. Allow them to cook 3 or 4 minutes and add 1/2 cup of water. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes and turn the stove off. Set the mushrooms aside and add 2 or 3 more cups of water to the mushroom juices. Return to the stove and bring to the simmer. And there you have your mushroom stock ready to cook your risotto.

Now, put 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a pan, over medium heat. When the fat is hot, add 1/4 cup of chopped yellow onions. When the onions turn translucent, add 1 cup of Arborio rice and stir constantly until the rice starts to look milky in color. At that point, add to ladlefuls of the simmering stock and stir constantly until all the liquid has been absorbed. Add another ladleful of liquid and keep stirring until there is no liquid left. Repeat this operation, without stopping stirring, until the rice is tender but firm to the bite - that is the sign of a good risotto. It must take around 15 to 20 minutes to cook your risotto. When the rice is cooked, turn off the stove, add the mushrooms, 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese and mix everything thoroughly. Correct seasoning for salt and pepper. Sprinkle with chopped scallions and serve at once.

I really took the inspiration to a successful end this time. This risotto was really delicious and it jumped to my favorites list at the first bite. The mushrooms were soft and flavorful, the rice was creamy, tender and tasty. I must admit I was really proud of dinner yesterday. Give it a try if you like mushrooms. You will not regret. Bon Appetit! :)