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Wild Mushroom Risotto

Wild mushrooms or not, this is a simple and warming meal with lots of love.
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Servings: 4 People
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Pound Fresh Mushrooms Chicken of the woods, Morrell, hen of the woods, golden chanterelles or whatever you have access to in your area (domestic or wild)
  • 1 Stick Salted Butter, Divided Use more for serving
  • 3-4 Bulbs Shallots, Chopped Finely About 1/2-3/4 Cup total
  • 1 Head Garlic (or about 8 cloves) Garlic is good, and good for ya
  • 2-4 Twigs Thyme I grew lemon thyme and loved it in this dish, using dried works great too. Measure with you heart.
  • 1 tsp Salt More to taste, you get a good salty flavor from salted butter and cheese
  • 1 tsp Black Pepper Ground peppercorns at serving add a bit something something.
  • 3/4 cup Dry White Wine I've used a Brut Champagne before and it worked wonderfully. Sweet wines, not so much. You want the acid, not the sweetness.
  • 2 TBSP Lemon Juice I've skipped this before, so don't fret.
  • 5 Cups Broth or Stock Chicken, vegetable, water, beef, whatever stock or broth you have.
  • 1.5 Cups Short grain brown Rice, Unrinsed Any short, stubby grain rice should work. The starch from unrinsed rice makes this a bit chewy and delightful.
  • 1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 1 Cup Parmesan Cheese Freshly grated, or anything similar

Equipment

  • 1 Large Pot

Method
 

  1. In a Dutch oven melt half of the butter over medium heat
  2. Add mushrooms and shallots and saute until tender, about 8 minutes. 
  3. Add garlic, thyme (strip the leaves off), salt and pepper and stir for an additional minute. Remove mushroom mixture from pan and set aside.
  4. Add remaining butter to pan over medium heat. 
  5. Once butter has melted, add rice and stir until rice begins to look translucent, 3-4 minutes but up to 10 minutes.
  6. Add ¾ cup dry white wine and lemon juice and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly until liquid is mostly absorbed. 
  7. Add 1 cup of broth and stir until almost all broth is absorbed. 
  8. Continuing adding broth 1 cup at a time, and stir until liquid is almost absorbed. (This step takes 20 or so minutes but is absolutely worth the effort!)
  9. Add mushroom mixture into the rice and stir to combine. 
  10. Gently stir in heavy cream and parmesan cheese and cook until well incorporated on low heat. 
  11. Risotto should be creamy, but still have a bite/firmness about it. Add extra parm for smiling faces.