Wild Mushroom Risotto | Martha Stewart

Ok. You know what I didn't need to hear first thing when I came into the office this morning. I didn't need to hear that your 4 month old has learned to make "big boy" poops in his diaper. Nor did I need to know that you won't let your mother-in-law take your 4 month old to the mall because once she lost her keys at the mall, and you think she'll lose your living breathing offspring if she takes him to the mall.

Listen, we all know I don't want to have kids, but that doesn't stop me from being able to appreciate the little things that happen with my friends and their children, but this girl is crazy. Do I really need to know about the change in texture, color and smell of your kids shits...really?

Onto more pleasant and better smelling things, I had recently bought some dried porcini mushrooms. I have never worked with dried mushrooms before, so I was very curious and excited to try them. I made a Martha Stewart risotto recipe calling for fresh and dried mushrooms. The recipe was good, but honestly I thought it lacked a little somethin', which my friend and I decided could have been rosemary or another strong herb...possibly thyme. So, I post this recipe with hesitation, only because alone it wasn't Damn Good, it was only Good...with the addition of herbs it may have been better.

Wild Mushroom Risotto | Martha

Ingredients

6 cups vegetable stock (she used chicken, i substituted vegetable)

1/4 oz dried porcini mushrooms

9 oz assorted fresh mushrooms

7 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped shallots

1 cup Arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

4-6 tbs butter

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat stock in pan over medium heat. Add dried mushrooms; cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon; chop finely. Keep stock at a simmer over medium heat.

2.Remove stems from fresh mushrooms; chop finely. Slice caps 1/4 inch thick. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add mushroom caps; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and soft, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl. To pan, add remaining 6 tablespoons oil, mushroom stems, and shallots. Cook, stirring, until translucent. Add rice; cook, stirring, until rice begins to sound like glass beads, 3 to 4 minutes.

3. Add wine. Cook, stirring, until wine is absorbed by rice. Using a ladle, add 3/4 cup hot stock to rice. Using a wooden spoon, stir rice constantly, at a moderate speed. When rice has absorbed most but not all of liquid and mixture is just thick enough to leave a clear wake behind the spoon when stirring, add another 3/4 cup stock. 

4. Continue adding stock in this manner, stirring constantly, until rice is mostly translucent but still opaque in center. Continue cooking until rice is al dente, but not crunchy. As rice nears doneness, watch carefully; add smaller amounts of liquid. The mixture should be thick enough that grains are suspended in liquid the consistency of heavy cream. The risotto will thicken slightly when removed from heat. 

5. Add dried mushrooms and mushroom caps; warm over low heat. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and Parmesan; season with salt and pepper. Divide among four bowls; grate Parmesan over risotto. Serve immediately.

Rating = Good