Hello friends and friends of Paulina Kitchen! As always, it is a pleasure to welcome this world of recipes that we love, such as the classic risotto, that emblematic recipe of Italian cuisine that everyone believes so easy but (spoiler) is not. So today we redouble the bet and bring you the mushroom risotto .
Delicious and creamy, this risotto of mushrooms will require patience, subtlety and a little expertise but it is worth its combination of flavors. There are two very important things that we have to take into account when doing this mushroom risotto ... a lot of broth and a good rice suitable for these needs so once we have this we can already get to work.
Content table
About mushroom risotto
From Italy to the world: risotto with mushrooms
Risotto is an Italian traditional dish that has its origins in the eleventh century. It is believed that it was consumed in northern Italy, in the region of Lombardy and prepared with rice, broth and saffron.
But in the case of mushroom risotto, the origin is a bit less punctual. The truth is that mushrooms are a common ingredient in Italian cuisine, so it is not strange that they have joined the risotto since ancient times.
Evolution and boom of mushroom risotto thanks to Slow Food
In the 80s, the popularity of the Slow Food founded by the Italian Carlo Petrini began and therefore the demand for vegetarian dishes and fresh and local ingredients grew.
At that time the mushroom risotto became an option for diners since it gathered everything that was fashionable at that time: it was a tasty, abundant dish, without meat and with local ingredients.
Currently the risotto of mushrooms remains a popular option in the menus of the Italian restaurants and can be found throughout the world. It is prepared with a variety of mushrooms, such as mushrooms, porcini and shiitake, and can be served as the main dish or as garrison.
It is said that mushrooms have the umami flavor, so fashionable in current gastronomy.
The ideal rice for mushroom risotto is not any rice
As we said, rice on this dish is fundamental . In fact, the term "risotto" derives from the Italian word "riso" , which means rice.
The type of rice used to make mushroom risotto is known as arborio rice . It is originally from the Piedmont region in Italy and what makes it ideal is its high starch content that gives the risotto its characteristic creaminess. In addition to the arbit, you can also use other types of short grain rice with high starch content, such as carnaroli or vialone nano.
As you will see, the type of rice is very important because in the cooking process, one of the keys is to add the broth little by little and constantly stir so that the starch is released and thus create a creamy texture.
It is very important to avoid the types of commercial rice that are advertised as “it does not pass, it does not stick” , since it is a rice under a process called parbolized that consists of steaming the starch from the grain. Nor is it recommended to use integral rice.
Mushroom and Parmesan Risotto recipe: a delicate delight
Although the risotto is a relatively simple dish, many chefs consider it difficult to do correctly due to the technique and attention it requires.
This recipe of risotto of mushrooms and Parmesano has everything so that it can go well at the first attempt, you just have to pay attention to the times, the techniques, the ingredients and, how the procedure will see, stir enough.
I leave a tip : the risotto of mushrooms and Parmesano is a vegetarian dish that can be easily adapted to be vegan when omitting the Parmesan cheese and using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- Yields : 4 portions.
- Preparation time : 30 minutes.
Ingredients for the risotto of mushrooms and parmesan
- 1 liter of chicken broth or vegetables
- 1 finely chopped onion
- 2 finely chopped garlic cloves
- 300 gr. of rice suitable for risotto
- 200 gr. chopped fresh mushrooms
- 1 cup of dry white wine
- 50 gr. of butter
- 100 gr. of grated Parmesan cheese
- Olive oil necessary quantity
- Salt and pepper to taste
How to make mushroom risotto and Parmesan
- In a pot heat the chicken broth or vegetables over low heat. In a large pan, heat a little olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic over medium heat until golden brown.
- Add the rice to the pan and stir for 1-2 minutes, until well mixed with the onion and garlic.
- Add the white wine and stir continuously until it has evaporated.
- Add the minced mushrooms to the pan and stir for a few minutes until they are tender.
- Start adding the broth to the pan, ladle by ladle, making sure that the rice is covered with broth before adding more. Stir continuously.
- Cook over low heat for about 20 minutes or until the rice is at the dente.
- Add the butter and Parmesan cheese grated to the pan and stir until well mixed.
- Rectify flavors with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
