Easy Mushroom Risotto Recipe!

First off, grab four cups of chicken stock and pop that into a medium pot. Place this over medium-high heat and bring it to a boil. This stock needs to be nice and hot for your risotto; otherwise, you’re going to shock your rice and bad things will happen. Our recipe today calls for four cups of stock for that one cup of rice, but you might need to use more—especially if you have a wider pot where there’s more evaporation, maybe it’s a drier day, or you added a little bit more rice than a cup. Everything can change, and you don’t want rice that’s hard and uncooked, so make sure you give it a test and add more liquid as needed. Just have it at the ready.

While that’s heating up, finish some prep work. Take 10 ounces of mushrooms; shiitake are used here, but really you can use whatever mushrooms you love or have on hand. Give them a nice finish slice.

A lot of us are intimidated by risotto—it can go wrong and get gummy. Here’s the deal: it’s fairly foolproof, but you do have to time it out and have a block of time. Risotto shouldn’t take more than half an hour to make, but you’re going to be there for half an hour. You can’t pop something into the oven and come back, so make sure you have uninterrupted time to stir away because you’re going to release the starches in the rice, and if you do that, you’ll be fine.

Next, prep two medium-to-large shallots, thinly sliced. Finely chop them; it’s not technically a mince. If you don’t use shallots or leeks very often, give them a try—shallots have a beautiful delicate flavor, as do leeks, and they both add depth. If shallots aren’t available, use a finely minced sweet onion.

When the stock is ready, place a Dutch oven over medium heat and add two tablespoons of butter and two tablespoons of oil. Once the butter melts, add the shallots. Cook, stirring frequently, for about two minutes, just until the shallots are tender; do not let them brown.

Add all the mushrooms to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for five to seven minutes, or until the mushrooms have changed color and softened.

About the rice: use Arborio (or, if you can find it, Carnaroli). Both are short-grain, high-starch rices perfect for risotto.

Grate about half a cup (40 g) of Parmesan; a microplane creates light, fluffy shreds that melt beautifully.

Add one cup (220 g) of rice to the pot. Stir and cook for three to four minutes, or until the grains look translucent at the edges.

Pour in one cup of dry white wine to deglaze the pan. Add ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Cook, stirring, until the wine has almost completely evaporated.

Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add hot stock, about ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding the next. This gradual process coaxes starch from the rice, creating the signature velvety texture. You may need slightly more than the initial four cups—keep extra warm stock (or even hot water) on hand if the risotto is still too al dente after the stock is used up.

When the rice is tender yet still with a hint of bite, remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the grated Parmesan and about a tablespoon of chopped chives. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

Serve immediately in warm bowls, garnished with extra Parmesan and chives. Enjoy the rich, comforting flavor and divine texture of your homemade mushroom risotto!