Risotto is a family favorite in my house—and this recipe is made rich and creamy by puréeing some of the mushrooms before adding them to the rice, along with some butter. However, this vegetarian recipe can be made vegan by leaving out the butter and cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 large shallot or yellow onion, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 cup arborio rice
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 3 cups vegetable stock, hot
- Kosher or sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup frozen green peas, defrosted
- 1 cup tiny cherry tomatoes
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, or more to taste
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in cubes
- Chopped chives, for garnish
- Chive flowers, for garnish
Method
- Heat the oil in a heavy sauté pan or skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the shallots and garlic and sauté until they are translucent and smell delicious, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat it in oil, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook to reduce it until almost all of it evaporates. Stir in one ladle of hot vegetable stock and cook, stirring constantly, until it has been absorbed by the rice. Continue cooking, adding stock one ladleful at a time. The rice will begin to soften and look creamy. Continue adding stock, stirring and tasting. Season with salt and pepper and add stock until the rice texture is to your taste.
- While the risotto cooks, sauté the mushrooms. Heat the oil and butter in another large skillet over high heat, adding the shallots and garlic and cooking until translucent. Add the mushrooms and ¼ cup of the stock, salt and pepper and cook, stirring until the mushrooms are soft and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer half of the cooked mushrooms and another ½ cup of the stock to the bowl of a blender and blend until smooth.
- Check the risotto and add the mushroom purée, the peas, the tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Add the butter, stirring and then the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Spoon the risotto onto four warm plates. Top with the sautéed mushrooms, chopped chives and chive flowers. Serve with an extra grating of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
For the Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in cubes
- 1 tablespoon shallots, minced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- Kosher or sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup mushrooms, such as chanterelle, clamshell, shiitake, white button, sliced
- ¼ cup vegetable stock
After all my years in cooking, I realize how important it is to take your kids into the kitchen and cook with them. It’s important to pass down family recipes from generation to generation and to create and share new ones with your children. Teaching your kids to taste each stage of a recipe as it cooks helps them learn and develop a palate.