Wild Mushroom Risotto

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Wild Mushroom Risotto

Yield 4 servings

New mushroom varieties can be both exciting and intimidating. We’ve designed this recipe to help you experiment with wild mushrooms varieties that perhaps you’ve never cooked with before – what better way then in a delicious, soul-nourishing risotto with sage, thyme, and creamy Arborio rice. Feel free to interchange whichever wild mushroom variety is in season with the mushrooms listed in this recipe! Get creative!

Ingredients

  • 10 Tablespoons of ghee or butter, divided
  • 12 oz. firm mushrooms (button or crimini), chopped into 1" pieces
  • 8 oz. wild mushrooms (hedgehogs, chanterelle, morels, oyster, etc), chopped into 1" pieces
  • ¼ cup shallot, diced
  • ¼ cup leek, diced
  • 1¼ cup Arborio rice
  • 5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 6 sprigs fresh thyme, destemmed 
  • 1 teaspoon ground sage
  • Salt and pepper
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
  • Optional: 4 strips of bacon, cooked and chopped into ½-inch pieces

Instructions

Heat 2 Tablespoons of the ghee in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ¼ of the mushrooms, sprinkle with salt, and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Repeat this step until all of the mushrooms are sauteéd. Set aside.

Bring the 5 cups of stock to simmer in a saucepan and keep warm.

Heat 2 Tablespoons of ghee over medium-low heat in a large saucepan. Add the shallot and leek, sprinkling with salt, and sauté for about 5-7 minutes or until translucent. Add rice to the saucepan and stir for 3-4 minutes or until edges are translucent.

Increase the heat to medium and add ½ cup of the broth, stirring constantly until the liquid is absorbed. Add ¾ cup more broth, stir until absorbed. Add mushrooms, thyme, sage, and lemon (and bacon if using) and stir. Continue to add broth in ¾ cup increments until all is absorbed, about 10-20 minutes.

Stir in ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, and set risotto aside. Dish into bowls and top with thyme, additional cheese, and a squeeze of lemon.