My main course of a Mushroom Risotto for Ready Steady Cook was an obvious choice given the fact that arborio rice was one of my ingredients. I was faced with a few challenges, namely, I only had the onion to use as my base, I had no vermouth or even wine as the alcohol bit and no stock! This was the reason I drained the tomatoes for my starter.
Mushroom Risotto
Ingredients
- 15 mls olive oil *
- 250 g mushrooms sliced
- salt for seasoning *
- 15 g butter *
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced *
- 100 g arborio rice
- water at simmering temperature
- black pepper for seasoning *
- juice from the drained tin tomatoes *
- 1 handful fresh flat leaf parsley chopped *
- 15 mls mascarpone cheese
Method
- heat the olive oil in a pan and fry off the mushrooms with a generous seasoning of salt
- remove and set aside, adding the pan juices to the drained tomato juice
- melt the butter and gently fry the onion until translucent
- add the garlic and fry for 2 minutes
- add the rice and cook until it starts to change colour
- add 1 ladle simmering water
- season generously with black pepper
- when the water has nearly absorbed add the tomato juice
- season generously with salt
- continue adding water, a ladle at a time, until the rice is nearly cooked through
- check the seasoning
- add the mushrooms and heat through
- add the parsley and remove from the heat
- stir in the marscapone and serve immediately
Notes
Click on the links for conversions and notes.
I could eat risotto for lunch a few times a week. But sadly it is not a quick dish to make and it is what I call a labour of love. Over the years I have learnt to simplify the process. I do not stand at the stove the entire time and stir away. I do however make sure all my ingredients are prepared ahead of time. This is unusual for me as I loathe mise en place. It is one of the reasons I never list recipe times. I usually never get anything ready beforehand. And more often that not I make a few recipes at a time. It is because I do not like to be bored. And I am very impatient. I even step away from the stove when making custards. Not always with good results of course.
Well done, this is why I love this challenge, it forces you to innovate and create things you didn’t know you could 🙂
it has been so much fun! thank you for the effort it has taken to co-ordinate this challenge.
Well done! It’s a true challenge when you can’t use things you usually take for granted like stock!
thanks, it was really great with the tomato juice and I may just use that in future with stock for extra depth of flavour.
Well done Tandy!
thank you!
Going to try this tomight, thanks 🙂
Sorry – I meant ‘tonight’ 😀
hee hee! didn’t see that 🙂
good luck!
What a great idea to use the tomato juice as liquid for the risotto! Looks super.
it worked out so well that it is worth repeating 🙂
Love the tomato idea! Very clever.
This looks great!
thanks!
very nice Tandy ! did you just use the gewone mushrooms?? will try it tomorrow ! tonight is sushi night 🙂
yummy sushi! I used portabellini mushrooms as I find them to be meatier
Yum, this sounds absolutely delicious….and comforting. Love it!
thanks, it was a bowl of bliss 🙂
My 5-ingredient pasta meal is posted Tandy:
http://theonlycin.wordpress.com/2010/09/01/take-5-tandy-tuesday/
thanks – it was the first post I read this morning! Happy spring day 🙂