If you think making risotto is beyond difficult, you've got to give it a try. It's easier than everyone thinks, and this mushroom risotto is so good!
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This Rich and Creamy Mushroom Risotto recipe is best prepared while sipping a glass of wine and listening to Dean Martin crooning in the background.
I fell in love with risotto many, many years ago at an Italian restaurant in the Little Italy neighborhood in Chicago, called Tuscany. Always hesitant to try making a risotto recipe myself, I finally worked up the nerve. Since I was only cooking for me and Mark, I figured even if it didn't turn out just right, it would at least be edible. And I'd have a sympathetic audience.
I also remember going to an Italian restaurant in suburban McCook, Illinois, and ordering risotto there. What a huge disappointment. My jaw literally dropped when they brought it to the table. All it consisted of was a dish of rice with chicken gravy ladled on top! Can you believe it? I won't post the name of that restaurant here.
This Mushroom Risotto recipe uses a combination of chicken and mushroom broth, and the liquid from the sauteed mushrooms. Talk about rich tasting risotto, wow!
The takeaway on making risotto
Making risotto is easier than most people think - it just takes some time, is all. But it doesn't take as long as most people think. When cooking the rice, you'll be adding broth a little at a time and cooking until the liquid is absorbed before adding more.
Do you need Arborio Rice for a Risotto recipe?
Well, in a pinch you can make a risotto recipe with regular long-grain rice, but arborio rice is best for achieving a creamy risotto because of its starch content. It's widely available at supermarkets, so purchase a package to achieve the best possible risotto results.
How do you know when to add more broth to risotto?
Many cooks shy away from trying a risotto recipe because they're not sure of the timing for adding additional broth during the cooking process. This quick 30-second video will show you when it's just the right time!
How to make this Mushroom Risotto recipe
Ingredients
- Chicken stock
- Mushroom broth
- Olive oil
- Portobello, porcini, or cremini mushrooms
- White onion or shallots
- Arborio rice
- Dry white wine
- Butter
- Parmesan cheese, grated - you'll love this rotary cheese grater
- Salt and pepper
Step-by-Step Risotto
More detailed instructions are in the recipe card, but here are the basics:
- Warm the two stocks in a pot to hot but not boiling or simmering. This is key to preventing a risotto recipe from taking forever to finish.
- Saute the mushrooms in olive oil until soft, then remove them and all their juices to a bowl and set aside.
- Add olive oil to the saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook the rice in the same saucepan with more olive oil, stirring until the rice is coated and begins to turn golden (remember making Rice-a-Roni?).
- Add wine and cook until it's absorbed into the rice.
- Return the juices from the mushrooms to the rice, and cook until it's absorbed into the rice.
- One half-cup or so at a time, add the heated broth to the rice, stirring and cooking each addition of broth until fully absorbed. Watch this 30-second video to see exactly when the rice is ready for more broth.
- About half-way through the process, start testing the rice for a tender but firm texture - not mushy. Also test for salt and pepper, and add it to taste. At the end of the process, you want a bit of the broth left in the saucepan unabsorbed, to achieve creaminess. You may not need all of the broth to finish cooking the rice.
- Stir in the butter, mushrooms and parmesan cheese well, and serve it up.
Do you love Italian food?
I don't personally know of anyone who doesn't like Italian food. If you love a great risotto recipe, then this Beef Braciole recipe is another classic Italian recipe to try. And of course, a plate of freshly-made Basil Pesto with pasta is always a favorite.
📖 Recipe
Rich and Creamy Mushroom Risotto
Ingredients
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 3 cups mushroom broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds portobello, porcini, or cremini mushrooms, de-stemmed and sliced thin or a mixture of the three
- ⅓ cup finely diced white onion or shallots
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1½ cups Arborio rice
- ⅔ cup dry white wine
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese you'll love this rotary cheese grater
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the two stocks in a saucepan over low heat to warm them up.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the olive oil to a shimmer and add the mushrooms and onion. Saute until soft - about 5-6 minutes - then remove them and all their juices to a bowl and set aside.
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the rice and cook and stir until the rice is coated and begins to turn golden - about 3 minutes.
- Add the wine and stir constantly until the wine is absorbed into the rice.
- Add the juices from the mushrooms to the rice, stir and cook until it's fully absorbed. Then, one half-cup or so at a time, add the broth to the rice, stirring and cooking each addition of broth until it is fully absorbed. Watch this 30-second video to see exactly when the rice is ready for more broth. About half-way through the process, begin testing the rice for a finished texture of "tender but firm" - not mushy. At the end of the process, you want a bit of the broth left in the saucepan unabsorbed, to achieve creaminess. You may not need all of the broth to finish cooking the rice. Also test for salt and pepper, and add it to taste.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the butter, mushrooms and parmesan cheese until well-incorporated throughout the rice. Serve immediately.
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