There’s something undeniably comforting about a bowl of risotto — warm, creamy, and packed with rich flavors, especially from those mushrooms. When paired with the earthy, umami-packed goodness of oyster mushrooms, this classic Italian dish transforms into an irresistible treat that’s perfect for any occasion.
This dish is surprisingly simple to make with a little patience and the right technique. In this recipe, we’ll walk you through step-by-step instructions on how to make a perfectly creamy risotto that highlights the delicate, meaty texture of oyster mushrooms.
Let’s get cooking!
Ingredients
- 1 lb Oyster Mushrooms, sliced (450g)
- 5 Cups Chicken Stock
- 1 Cup Boiling Water
- 1.5 Cups Arborio Rice
- 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Brown Onion, diced
- 1 Cup Dry White Wine
- 3 Cloves of Garlic, minced
- 1 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
- 1/4 Cup Parsley, finely chopped
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by heating the chicken stock in a saucepan. Once it starts to simmer, turn the heat down to low and keep warm.
- Then on a medium heat, using the large saucepan, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the diced onion.
- Gently cook the onion for a few minutes until it starts to turn translucent.
- Then add half the minced garlic and the Arborio rice to the saucepan and stir to coat the rice with the onion and oil.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes before adding the white wine.
- Stir through the wine, allowing it to evaporate before adding a ladle or two of the chicken stock to the rice.
- Once the stock has nearly evaporated, continue to add another ladle of stock, stirring gently to cook evenly and so the bottom doesn’t stick.
- Continue this process until the rice has softened and cooked to al dente perfection. You can check this by squishing a grain of the cooked rice on the kitchen bench with the back of a spoon – if there is evidence of very fine white particles in the center of the gain – which is the uncooked part of the rice, then you’ve cooked it perfectly. Also taste test the risotto to ensure there are no hard pieces of rice. The additional hot boiled water is available to ladle extra liquid if required beyond the chicken stock. I find I need an extra ladle or two to ensure a creamy mushroom risotto.
- While the risotto is cooking, on a medium heat, add the remaining olive oil to the frying pan.
- Then add the remaining minced garlic to the pan and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the oyster mushrooms to the pan to gently cook until the mushrooms have softened and cooked through.
- The final step is to add the cooked mushrooms, grated Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley and salt and pepper to taste to the risotto rice. Stir gently to combine and then serve.
This dish can be served as is or garnished with additional parmesan cheese and parsley.
Recipe from Plant Food At Home