Risotto is more than a dish: it's also a technique. It refers to a method of cooking short-grain rice (often Arborio) by sautéing it in butter or oil and then slowly adding liquid, a ladleful at a time, until absorbed. Short-grain rice releases a lot of starch when cooked in this manner, and because of this, the dish creates its own sauce. Risotti are sometimes made with other grains, especially barley, and can easily be made without common allergens. Parmesan cheese is a common finish but because of the starchy sauce the dish will taste delicious without any cheese and will even have a dairy-like mouth feel.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4-5 pieces dried porcini mushrooms (optional; see note below)
- 3 sprigs fresh sage or 1/2 tbsp. dried sage
- 4 c chicken stock (chicken broth, mushroom broth, or vegetable broth are all good substitutes)
- 3 tbsp. olive oil or butter (if not avoiding dairy)
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 4 scallions or 1/2 medium onion, peeled and minced
- 12 oz. crimini or white mushrooms, cleaned and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- 1 1/2 c Arborio rice or other short-grain rice
- salt and pepper
- freshly grated Parmesan or Grana Padano cheese (optional)
Preparation:
If you're using the dried mushrooms, put them in a bowl with the sage and enough boiling water to cover and let them sit for about ten minutes.
Heat chicken stock (and sage, if not using the dried mushrooms) in a saucepan over medium-high heat. When the stock comes to a boil, turn it down to a bare simmer.
Remove softened porcini mushrooms from the water and sage and chop coarsely. Retain the steeping liquid.
Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil or butter over medium heat in a saucepan or saucier. Sauté garlic and scallions until golden. Add 1 more tbsp. olive oil and sauté rice until it begins to pick up some color. Add mushrooms (including the reconstituted dried mushrooms) and cook until they have given off most of their water. Season with salt and pepper.
Turn heat down to medium-low. Add all mushroom liquid and one ladleful of chicken stock. Stir risotto thoroughly. If the liquid in the risotto is boiling very quickly, turn the heat down. The dish should cook gently and slowly.
When the risotto has absorbed most of the liquid, add another ladleful of stock and stir thoroughly. Repeat this step until the rice does not seem to be absorbing more liquid and the grains are chewy and al dente to taste. Check for salt and pepper and season if necessary.
To finish, grate Parmesan cheese (if using) over risotto. Any available fresh sage makes a nice garnish. Serve immediately.
Note: This recipe owes a special debt to one of my favorite cookbooks, Anna Thomas's New Vegetarian Epicure, from which I adopted the technique of using reconstituted porcini mushrooms for a richer flavor. You can find dried wild mushrooms at larger supermarkets, warehouse stores, and specialty markets. A small bag will last a long time, as only a few pieces are enough to flavor an entire dish, but if you can't or don't want to get them it's fine to leave them out.
Variations: Because rice has no strong flavor of its own, risotti are a good medium for most meats and vegetables. I make risotti with asparagus in the spring, zucchini or tomatoes in the summer, leeks in the fall, and butternut squash in the winter. This recipe is a basic template that you can vary by changing the cooking liquid (wine is a common variation), the main ingredients, or the herbs and seasonings.
Serves four as a main course, or six as a side dish.
