Mushroom Risotto


The Recycled Cook

Mushroom Risotto

The first thing you need for a good Risotto is a decent stock you can use  what we made previously or one of the wide range available in supermarkets. 

There are of course many variation on Risotto, it is a great way to use up any combination of leftover vegetables and meat or simply keep it vegetarian.

pre-cook any raw ingredients if you think they will not cook through in the risotto itself, particularly any raw meat. 

To start we will make  basic Risotto Blanco, the base for all Risotto.

To start with you will need to fry off what the Italians call a "Sofrito", a mix of finely chopped carrot, celery, onion and garlic. I substituted Parsnip for carrot as I had no carrots this time. Olive oil will do nicely but to really bring out the flavour of the mushrooms use truffle oil.
Once you have fried off the "Sofrito" add the rice and fry until it starts to look clear. At this point you can add a generous dash of white wine or Vermouth and let this simmer until the rice has absorbed it all.
Now start to add the stock a ladle-full at a time. This allows you to control that the rice will not go too soggy, it should be a little al-dente as it will cook on in its own heat
Keep the stock hot as you don't want to drop the temperature by adding cold stock to the Risotto. Allow the risotto to absorb the stock fully before adding the next label but keep a close eye you don't want it to catch to dry out.
About half way through cooking add the previously sliced mushrooms and turn in carefully, don't work the rice too much or it will go starchy and heavy.

 If you are adding anything else now is also the time to do so. Experiment with what you have left over, maybe some chopped cooked ham or chicken (not raw) or some fresh herbs such as parsley, coriander or basil.

Keep asking the risotto and testing the rice, adjust your seasoning. When you are jay that the rice is ready take the pan off the heat, this is probably the most important step in cooking risotto and why some risottos get very heavy.

 Once off the heat add some cubes of butter and fold in until melted, grate your cheese over the top and once again fold that in, cover and leave for 2 minutes and serve straight away.
Parmesan is the usual cheese to use but Grana Pedano works just as well and is generally cheaper too. I finished mine with some grated hard goats cheese called Crotin (available in the delicatessen).

 You can serve this as it is or topped with green pesto and a sprinkling of chilli flakes. I had some black pudding left over so fried this until it was crispy and flaked it over the top which of course isn't vegetarian.



Variations
There are many ingredients that you might have left over, experiment with various combinations and have fun. (Some suggestions below):

 Mushrooms, Spring onions, Cauliflower florets, Broccoli spears, Asparagus, Fennel bulbs (finely sliced), Beetroot, Chopped garlic, Cured meat (ham, chorizo, salami, salcisson etc.), cooked sausage, bacon or prawns (re-heat thoroughly before using). Lemon zest, mixed herbs.

 Chef's tip: Dried mushrooms covered with boiling water makes a great addition. Just ladle the mushroom liquor alternately with your stock into the Risotto.

Disclaimer: The suggestions and tips on these blog pages are meant to be used in conjunction with common sense. Keeping your family healthy is the priority. Do not use food that is unfit for human consumption and always follow sensible food hygiene guidelines. http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/homehygiene/Pages/food-leftovers-safety.aspx

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Home Made Chutney

Image
The Recycled Cook By Adrian Sleeman Home Made Chutney Another great way of preserving food is by making chutney or relish. Although we think of chutney as being Asian or South east Asian in origin they in fact came from Northern Europe as long ago as 500bc. The Romans embraced the method and eventually so did the British empire who took them to tropical regions where they have since been adopted by those countries. The name "Chutney" that we use today is derived from the Hindi word "Chattni" which means "to lick", they were usually sweetened with honey rather than sugar and were added to dishes as a sweetening agent rather than used as a relish as we do now.  Chutneys can be made from almost any combination of vegetables, fruits, herbs and spices and are usually grouped as either a sweet or spiced chutney.  Natural preservatives are used to keep the chutney from going mouldy, such as vinegar,  l emon juice or tamarind paste.  You can blend t
Read more

Make more of Lentils

Image
The Recycled Cook By Adrian Sleeman Make more of L entils Here is one of my favourite dishes for using up odds and ends that makes a great alternative to potatoes or rice as a staple food. It can be used as a base for a meal or stand alone as the meal itself. Lentils originate in Asia and North Africa and are one of our oldest sources of food known to man. This humble relative of the common garden pea is a rich in protein and carbohydrates and is also also a good source of calcium, phosphorus, iron and B vitamins. There are several different varieties of lentil readily available, most commonly Brown, Red and Green lentils, although Puy and Yellow are stocked in many health and specialist shops.  Which type of lentil you use depends on the kind of dish. They are usually bought dried and it is important to rinse them well before cooking with them. You can soak them to reduce cooking time but to be honest I prefer not to as they absorb so much more flavour that way.  G
Read more

Traditional Welsh Cawl

Image
The Recycled Cook By Adrian Sleeman Traditional Welsh Cawl Making leftover food into even tastier dishes is all about using your imagination to its fullest. What better place to start than with a Welsh classic, " C awl ", which in Welsh sim ply means mixture. This is a dish that you will find in rural areas all over the world, wi t h many different names and variations: C aldo, Cazuela, Cock-a-leekie or Ajiaco to name but a few but they all have one thing in common, they are cheap, who lesome, warming and satisfying.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_soup The thing abo ut recycling food is that you need to plan ahead, that way you wa s te little and make far more of the food y ou are cooking. S o what is "Cawl" made from?  Ingredients: 2 Litres of Stock ( see below for method ) A whole chicken carcass (you can also use leftover pieces of Beef or Lam b ) Whatever root vegetables you have; Carrots, Swede, Potatoes , P
Read more