Hi everyone!
Today seems like a day for some comfort food. I’m thinking Asparagus, bacon and mushroom risotto with grilled mushrooms and parmesan cheese!! Yum!
Risotto may be a dish you are a little unfamiliar with – but it is so easy with incredible results. The trick is the brodo or broth which you keep warm in a pot next to your risotto pan. After sautéing, the flavor vegetables in a little olive oil, (I added a little bacon but that is optional), you will almost toast the Arborio rice. Then add a little white wine or vermouth (chicken or vegetable broth optional) and let it absorb. Then you add the brodo ladle by ladle letting each ladle get absorbed by the rice before adding the next. For this recipe, I added the asparagus with the last ladle.
The mushrooms in the risotto are reconstituted dried mushrooms. The water used to reconstitute is a critical flavor component. The grilled mushrooms are mixed wild mushroom – most groceries carry them. They are dry grilled, meaning using a grill pan or non-stick fry pan, the mushrooms are slow grilled using their own juices as the moisture agent. Once grilled (nicely browned and smelling nutty), I mixed in a little fresh lemon juice, pinch of herbed olive oil, pepper, garlic and a little salt. These lovely ones are used as a topping along with a sprinkle of fresh parmesan. Game changer for the dish!!
This whole process takes an hour, and you end up with a sensational flavorful dish that can be used as a side or a main course. Try it; make your own adjustments, different vegies in the flavor step, different cheeses or brodo bases. If you are a seafood person, seafood stock or broth is awesome with lobster or crab added. Think of the variations as a kind of creamy rice mac and cheese!
Try the recipe, ask any questions that come up your first time through, let me know your variations (I love to add different things!). Happy brooding!
Parmesan Asparagus Risotto with grilled mushrooms
Ingredients
- 2 stalks celery minced small
- 1 cup onions finely minced
- 1 bunch asparagus trimmed and cut into 3 inch pieces.
- 3 cups wild mushrooms (oyster,shiitake,morels,etc)
- 1 package dried mushrooms (porcini,morels etc.)
- 5 slice bacon cut into small pieces(optional)
- 2 cups Arborio or other risotto rice
- ½ cup dry white wine (Chicken broth or vegetable broth are options)
- 1 ½ 32 oz boxes of chicken/vegetable/seafood stock or broth
- 2 tblsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp butter
- 2 tblsp olive oil, use more if necessary to prevent sticking
- ½ cup shredded parmesan and then more available for serving
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tsp ground sage
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- fresh ground pepper
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
Bring the stock/broth to a simmer in a pot on the stove and then keep it warm.
In a small bowl, bring enough water to cover the dried mushrooms to a boil in the microwave. Add the dried mushrooms once the water is up to temp. Cover and let reconstitute, about ten minutes. I did this first so the mushroom water was ready to add to the risotto. The mushroom water adds great flavor. Once the mushrooms are reconstituted, remove them from the water and chop finely. Set the chopped mushrooms, and the mushroom water aside.
Use a large pan, I used the bottom of my broaster – the pan should be at least 5 inches deep, 12 inches wide and good for even heat conduction. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and saute the bacon(if using), onions and celery until the bacon is crisped. Keep the veggies at a sweat – meaning they have not started to color- and then add the rice. Stir for a few twirls and then add in the dry white wine. Stir until the liquid has been absorbed into the rice. Add the reserved (strained) mushroom water and the chopped reconstituted dried mushroom and repeat the stir action until the liquid is absorbed.
Add ½ tsp salt, freshly ground pepper and add your first ladle of warm stock/broth (brodo). Turn the heat down and stir until the liquid has been mostly absorbed by the rice.
This is the rhythm and secret of great creamy, not overdone risotto, keep adding warmed stock by the ladle, stirring after each addition until the rice has absorbed the liquid before you add the next. You will use just about all of the stock. When you get to the last ladle, add the chopped asparagus, and then season. I used 1 tsp sage, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 2 cloves minced garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Taste the rice as you are adding the brodo, the rice should still have a bit of bite when you remove from the heat.
Just before removing, add the shredded Parmesan and continue to stir. Remove from the heat, cover and let the risotto stand for a minute while you are tossing the freshly grilled wild mushrooms.
Freshly Grilled Mushrooms
When you are about 30 minutes out, get out a dry grill pan or non-stick fry pan. Get the pan hot and then dry grill your wild mushrooms until soft, starting to brown and smelling a little nutty. If you need to, do several batches. Pour the freshly grilled mushrooms into a bowl and add the lemon juice, I was lucky enough to have Meyer lemons on hand! Add a bit of herbed olive oil, and some herb seasoning. I used just a pinch of Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and some additional garlic. These grilled mushrooms will set your risotto apart from all others! Along with some larger shavings of additional parmesan cheese and you have an amazing finishing garnish!! Totally yum!!
Notes
This risotto is to die for, my husband didn’t talk except for making variations of yummmm until he finished his dish. Then he checked the refrigerator in the morning on his way out to work to make sure the leftovers were there!!
The risotto can be used as both a side and a main course. I used as a main course and just added crusty bread. I paired the risotto with an Australian Sauvignon Blanc, but a Pinot Grigio, or pale ale would go nicely as well.
This dish is crazy good, and incredibly easy for the beautiful outcome you get. Let me know how you like it, what variations you tried, and what questions you have.
Deni
