Hello foraging friends! I see that it’s been a busy autumn, wandering the woods in search of little fungus treasures. Now that you are home with your harvest of chanterelles, boletes and perhaps a few Lion’s Mane, it’s time to eat and I have the perfect dish for you to try, my Wild Mushroom Risotto. This meal is a lovely way to enjoy those hard earned mushrooms and after a day in the chilly, damp forest, this cozy little dish will warm you right up. It’s not only comforting, but also absolutely delicious, earthy and perfectly creamy.
To start, heat 6 cups of vegetable or chicken stock in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, cover and keep warm. While the broth is heating, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Add 2 cups of chopped mushrooms (of your choice!) and saute until the mushrooms are golden and any moisture has released and evaporated. Add 1 clove of minced garlic and the leaves from three sprigs of fresh thyme and cook for 30 seconds longer. Scrape the mushrooms, garlic and thyme from the pan and into a bowl. Set aside.
Using the same skillet, heat up two additional tablespoons of olive oil. Add 1½ cups of Arborio rice to the pan and toast for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add ½ cup of hot broth to the rice and slowly stir until it has been absorbed. Repeat. You want the rice mixture to cook at a slow simmer, gradually taking up the moisture from the broth with each ladle full. It should take about 40-45 minutes to stir in all 6 cups of broth. Enjoy the time it takes to make this risotto. Sip on a glass of wine or listen to a podcast while you cook. Steady the soul.
When all of the broth has been added to the risotto, stir in the reserved mushrooms along with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, ½ cup of shredded parmesan cheese and the leaves from two sprigs of fresh thyme. Serve immediately. This recipe easily serves 4.
Wild Mushroom Risotto
Ingredients
- 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 4 tbsp olive oil (divided)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 cups chopped mushrooms
- the leaves from 5 sprigs of fresh thyme (divided)
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1½ cups Arborio rice
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat the vegetable or chicken stock in a saucepan, bring to a simmer, cover and keep hot.
- In a large skillet, heat two tablespoon of olive oil and one tablespoon of butter.
- Add the chopped mushrooms and sauté until golden. Add the minced garlic and leaves from 3 sprigs of fresh thyme and cook 30 seconds longer.
- Scape the mushroom, thyme and garlic out of the pan and into a bowl and set aside.
- Using the same skillet, heat up the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil. Add the Arborio rice to the hot oil and toast for 2-3 minutes. Add ½ cup of hot broth to the rice and stirring constantly cook until the broth has been absorbed into the rice. Repeat.
- Continue adding the broth one ladle at a time, stirring the rice constantly. Add more broth only after the previous addition has been absorbed. This process will take about 40-45 minutes.
- Once the last ladle of broth has been absorbed into the rice, add the reserved mushrooms to the pan, along with the soy sauce, parmesan cheese and leaves from the last two sprigs of thyme. Stir to combine.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
