I'm back from my Palm Springs vacation do-over! If you saw my post in December, you know that it wasn't exactly the vacation of my dreams. It was, in fact, the vacation of my nightmares. However, I'm happy to report that this vacation was: drug addict / locksmith / hotel hopping / police / alarm installation / back injury free! My friend Amanda met me at our family's condo and we did California's Coachella Valley properly, which involves (in no particular ranking order):
 |
| A coolified Joshua Tree |
(1) Hiking in Joshua Tree National Park (our one redeeming "nature" day, so we didn't feel guilty about the following activities).
(2) SERIOUS outlet shopping.
(4) Poolside lounging with appropriate beverage (see #3).
I really did my broken December self proud.
I swung through Oregon on my way home to spend time with my sister Holly, and made a yummy mushroom risotto in my dream kitchen (that sadly my Dad built for Holly by mistake. We do look an awful lot alike). I had just made a huge batch of it a couple weeks ago to some pretty rave reviews (my girl Kate's 13-year old stepson had 3 helpings- THE stamp of approval).
Unfortunately, there are a lot of mushroom haters out there. I pity them. They really don't know what they're missing. I mean, rarely does someone like a raw mushroom. Because raw mushrooms kinda suck. They taste weird, and they're spongy. But when you coax the flavor out of them, and add some olive oil, a little love and a good dash of Parmesan cheese...well, that's a dish worth sharing.
I think the key to success with this dish is the use of dried porcini mushrooms. The amount of flavor they add to any dish is incredible, both the rehydrated mushrooms and the porcini "liquid gold" that is created after soaking them. I put about a cup of them (you don't have to be exact) in a 2-cup glass measuring dish, and fill it with the hottest tap water possible. Let this sit for about 30-40 minutes while you start prepping the onions and mushrooms.
Bring 8 cups of chicken stock to a simmer on the back of the stove (I usually bring it to a boil, and then turn it down to medium-low). In the meantime, add a few turns of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion for 5-7 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes before adding the mushrooms, herbs, and a good pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. It's best to season any food, but especially a risotto, in layers. So I add salt and pepper at a couple different stages.
Drain the porcinis, pressing out as much of the liquid as possible while reserving the porcini liquid to add to the hot stock pot. Add the drained porcinis to the mushroom extravaganza. The mushrooms take a little while to cook, but be patient. You want them to cook down until they lose their liquid and start to turn golden. Sometimes I'll drizzle in a little more olive oil if the pan looks dry (mushrooms are sponges!) It takes about 15-20 minutes to do it properly. Then add the rice and cook it for a couple minutes until it is well-coated and turns slightly opaque, making sure to season it with salt and pepper again. Pour in the white wine and cook until the liquid has evaporated.
Time to add a generous ladle full of hot stock (or about 1 cup at a time). Wait until the rice has drunk up all the liquid before adding another ladle full. It takes about 3-4 minutes at a time, but it's well worth the patience!
Repeat this process until most of the stock is used up (you may not use all of it) and the rice is firm and creamy, but not mushy. Taste it several times while you're cooking it and you'll see what I mean.
When the rice seems perfect, turn off the heat and add the Parmesan, peas, and a dollop of butter (the restaurant secret!) Check for seasoning one last time and add salt and pepper if necessary (cheese is salty, so I usually add that first before checking the seasoning one last time). Serve it immediately! You'll make a lover out of any mushroom hater. And if you don't, then you're dealing with a lost cause and I don't have any advice for those. I'm a lawyer, not a therapist.
Mushroom Risotto
Adapted from Tyler Florence
3 T (or more) olive oil
1 onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
1 lb. assorted mushrooms (I used cremini, button, and Oregon chanterelles)
leaves from 3 fresh thyme sprigs
2 T. chopped parsley
2 bay leaves
2 c. Arborio rice
1/2 c. dry white wine (I used Savignon Blanc)
8 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock if you don't eat animals)
1 c. frozen peas, thawed under cool running water
1 T. butter
1/2 freshly grated Parmesan cheese
(chopped parsley, for garnish)
To rehydrate the porcini mushrooms, put them in a 2 cup glass measuring dish and fill with the hottest tap water. Let them soak for 30-40 minutes. In the meantime, bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a large pot. Place a large, deep pot or skillet over medium heat and drizzle with the olive oil. Add the onion and saute till transluscent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and saute for an additional 1-2 minutes. Add mushrooms, herbs, a good pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Saute until the mushrooms lose their liquid and turn golden, about 15-20 minutes. Once the porcinis are rehydrated, drain and squeeze out all excess liquid and add the porcinis to the pot of mushrooms, while adding the reserved porcini liquid to the pot of simmering chicken stock.
Add the rice to the mushrooms and cook for a couple minutes. Season the rice with salt & pepper. Pour in the wine and stir until the liquid has evaporated. Add a generous ladle full of stock to the rice (about 1 cup) and stir occassionally the liquid is absorbed. It takes about 3-4 minutes. Repeat this process several times until the rice is slighly firm but creamy- you may not need to use all of the stock. When the rice has finished drinking up the liquid, turn off the heat and add the butter, peas, and Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately- risotto doesn't like to hang around!
Enjoy! xo H
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