one filipino dish a week

Risotto has a certain kind of mystic. At least to me it does. It’s something that I’ve only eaten at a restaurant. So it has to be complicated that only trained chefs can make it right? Well here it is, my first attempt at making risotto. As I’m looking at different recipes on how to make it I say to myself, I know it’s rice but the only way I make rice is in a rice cooker. Press a button and when the beep goes off you’re done. This one not so ’set it and forget it’ kind of procedure. Why can’t Ron Popeil come up with an easy solution for this? It’s time to over come some unsubstantiated fear of not being able to make it right and just get it done. Here’s what I did…

dried porcini mushrooms
warm water
4 cups vegetable stock
portabella mushrooms
juice of 1/2 lemon
3 tbsp of butter
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
olive oil
1 small onion diced small
1 1/2 cups arborio risotto rice
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used prosecco because that’s what was opened)
freshly grated parmesan cheese

1. Soak mushrooms in warm water until it gets soft (about 30 minutes).

2. Pour vegetable stock and the water used to soak the mushrooms in a pot and simmer until needed.

3. Slice mushrooms. Melt a 1 tbsp of butter in a pan and add the mushrooms with the lemon juice. Fry mushrooms until they begin to brown. Add parsley and cook for 30 more seconds then transfer to a side dish.

4. Melt another third of butter with some olive oil in the same pan. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent. Stir in rice and mix well. Add all the mushrooms. Add wine and cook until evaporated.

5. Add one ladleful of hot stock and stir gently until absorbed. Do one ladleful at a time until all stock has been absorbed and the rice is tender. (This is the part that takes a while)

6. Remove risotto pan from heat stir in remaining butter and parmesan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Allow to rest for a couple of minutes before serving.

How do you make your risotto? Was I close to how you make it?