Mushroom & Asparagus Risotto

I don't know if it's the weather or what but I've been cooking like crazy lately. Needless to say my freezer is full! Looks like I will be enjoying these dishes for months to come. Tonight I was inspired by asparagus and wanted to make something warm & satisfying so risotto it is.

Here are the ingredients you will need for this recipe:



Start by sautéeing a medium onion in olive oil & butter on medium heat.



Add 2 cloves of chopped garlic and about 1 C of chopped asparagus. Cook until asparagus is tender but not cooked all the way through.



Now you can add about 1 C of chopped mushrooms. I used plain button mushrooms here, but normally would use cremini mushrooms which have more flavor. Cremini's are actually smaller portabello mushrooms.



Cook until the mushrooms have lost most of their moisture and are tender. Remove mixture from heat and set aside.



In a saucepan heat about 5 cups of stock on low heat. You may use whatever type of stock you'd like here I used chicken stock for it's flavor.

In a separate pot add about 2 TBSP of olive oil & 1 TBSP butter. I actually have the Mario Batali risotto pot so I use that one. It's cast iron with an enamel coating so it's great for even heat & browning. Ridiculous I know, but it was a gift.



Next add 1 1/2 C of arborio rice. Stir well to make sure each grain is well coated with the oil. Continue cooking the rice until its slightly toasted, about 4 minutes.



Then add 1/2 C dry white wine (at room temperature) and start stirring. Once that liquid is absorbed you may now add a ladle full of your warm stock.



You are now going to alternate adding stock to the pot & stirring slowly until all the liquid is absorbed. This is a laborious process, but necessary to create the creamy texture that you want. About 30 - 45 minutes. So be patient!



Once the risotto is ready you now add back in your mushroom & asparagus mixture. To this dish I did add the zest and juice of one small lemon. It helped bring out the freshness of the vegetables & eased the richness of the dish. Finish it off with a nob of butter & one final ladle full of stock. Serve & top with fresh parsley.

I also topped mine with an aged mimolette cheese that I had. It was nutty, salty & just perfect for this dish. Traditionally you would use parmigiano reggiano. Enjoy!



Please let me know if you make this dish, and if so how it turns out!

xo diane

just catching up

I was recently in New York and had such a wonderful time there and did do a bit of cooking for a friend of mine. I made some delicious mushroom risotto using shiitake & cremini mushrooms with italian sausage. Its one of my favorite dishes because its so versatile. Using a basic recipe, you can add just about anything you want. Well, I also like to make a pretty large quantity so that I have some left over to make arancini.

My basic recipe for risotto comes from the Williams-Sonoma risotto book. I've used it so many times, I just don't have to look anymore... (yes, I am bragging a bit here)



I will post the instructions for the arancini which are fabulous "little oranges" that you make using the left over risotto. This all depends on how much you have left over of course. Basically all you do is add a beaten egg, some bread crumbs and more parmesan cheese to the rice mixture. Mix it gently then form into balls about the size of clementines or golf balls. The thing that makes these so good is the fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese that you stuff into the middle. Either cut small cubes or use the bocconcini or perlini. I like to use quite a bit so there's a good amount of oozy goodness coming out the center. You can actually stuff these with just about anything you want...like a beef ragu, more mushrooms etc. Just use what you like.

Once you've made the balls you do a simple dredge into flour, egg wash then into Italian breadcrumbs. Fry them at 350F in a light oil (I use canola) turning them frequently so they don't burn. Once they are golden brown remove them from the oil and place on paper towels to drain.



I serve them on a bed of baby arugula that is dressed with lemon, extra virgin olive oil, coarse salt & pepper. Super simple, and you can freeze the rest of them for later use. You want to freeze the risotto balls themselves without being coated with anything. Be sure if you do freeze them you need place them onto a baking sheet and flash freeze them separately before you put them into a container otherwise they will stick to each other!

Enjoy!

cheers!
xo diane
contact: thepantrychallenge[at]gmail[dot]com