Ravishing Risotto

Up until I was 13, I stuck strictly to baking in the kitchen. I had (have) a serious sweet tooth and never saw the excitement in cooking non-dessert dishes. I ardently watched The Food Network for all things saccharine until one fateful evening. I was babysitting and after putting the little ones to sleep, I tuned into FoodTV and a cheerful bloke from Essex was cooking up a storm from his London flat. I discovered Jamie Oliver, The Naked Chef and my life changed forever!

I quickly became hooked on the concept of the dinner party and loaned each of Jamie’s cookbooks from the library, pouring over keishes, pastas, roasts, etc. And then came the “Girls, girls, girls” episode from Season 2. Jamie cooked for the lovely Jules and her friends. His choice of entree? Risotto. I had never heard of this rice dish before but it looked spectacular. I needed to find a reason to make this dish immediately! So I organized a Valentine’s party for all my girlfriends. I felt just like Jules minus the hunky British chef boyfriend to cook! Jamie’s Risotto with Peas was on the menu and my fate was sealed.

Since that auspicious dinner party, I have cooked dozens of risottos for family and friends alike. My risotto has actually even become a Christmas tradition and each year I attempt different flavors and combinations. Below I’ve shared this year’s version, a sautéed mushroom and sundried tomato risotto, that may have been my best yet!

The finished product

I really love cooking risotto and I hope you will too. It’s a recipe that may demand a bit of TLC, but one that allows me to feel most present. Give it a bash as JO would say and don’t forget about the pukka tukka! 

Stovetop action

Risotto with Sautéed Mushrooms and Sundried Tomatoes

(Inspired by Jamie Oliver's Basic Risotto)

·         2 ½ pints stock (I used leftover turkey stock from Thanksgiving, thanks mom!)

Celery & onion going into butter & olive oil

·         1 tbsp butter

·         2 tbsp olive oil

·         1 large onion, chopped

·         2 cloves garlic, minced

·         ½ head celery, finely chopped

·         2 cups risotto rice

·         2 wineglasses dry white vermouth or dry white wine

·         sea salt

·         freshly ground black pepper

·         1 cup baby bella mushrooms, sliced

·         ¾ cup sundried tomatoes, packed in oil

·         Fresh Basil

1 dash cream

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a medium pot, heat up the stock; keep heated up to the point of boiling. In a separate large stock pot, heat the olive oil and melt the butter together. Add the onions, garlic and celery, and soften without browning for approximately 15 minutes. Add the risotto rice and turn up the heat.

As the rice slightly fries, stir continuously. Once the color is almost translucent (very important!) add the wine/vermouth and stir until alcohol has burned off.

Add the first ladle of stock with a pinch salt. Turn down the heat to a simmer as you don’t want the rice to cook too fast. Simultaneously, grab a large frying pan with deep sides. Dump the oil-packed sundried tomatoes in the pan and heat over medium. Once the oil has rendered a bit, add the mushrooms. Stir to coat all of the mushrooms and add small ripped pieces of the fresh basil. Turn down the heat to low. Keep adding ladles of stock one at a time, waiting for the rice to absorb before adding the next. This is TLC time for risotto so be attentive! Taste test for seasoning and adjust accordingly.

Massaging zee rice

Once the rice has absorbed enough stock and mixture is nearly at a batter consistency, remove from heat. Add the dash of cream, Parmesan, and stir. Next slot in the mushroom and tomato mixture and give a couple strong beats to mix everything up. Transfer to your serving dish and sprinkle with some extra Parmesan and cracked black pepper.

Bon Appétit!!