Mushroom and goat cheese risotto is our family’s ‘original’ recipe.
It’s all about the technique.
This mushroom and goat cheese risotto recipe came from a ‘what’s for dinner?’ collaboration with my wife 20 years ago. Risotto is considered a challenging dish, but if you follow three simple rules, you’ll do just fine.
Use quality rice
Use a short-grain rice. Arborio is the most common variety. You might be able to find Carnarolli or Bomba. If you’re a hardcore foodie, hunt down Vialone Nano. And don’t rinse it. You don’t want to remove any precious starches.
Use quality stock
Pay attention to the stock you use. You want a nice broth, like chicken soup. Use caution with strong stocks, like shrimp or lobster broth. If you do, cut it with water or chicken stock. The stock is the risotto, but shouldn’t overpower the dish. Keep the broth at a bare simmer. If it is too hot, it will reduce, changing the flavor.
Sweat the technique
Sautéing your rice in a soffritto of olive oil and onions in a sturdy pan with straight sides, before deglazing with white wine.
Next, add a ladle of simmering stock a little at a time, while gently stirring to encourage the release of starches, and to prevent the grains from sticking to the bottom – just don’t overwork it.
Ensure the risotto is also just barely simmering, and season as you go.
Continue until enough liquid has been absorbed and the risotto is creamy. It should be 90-95% done. Undercooked rice sucks, so you have permission to err on the side of overcooking.
Add proteins at the end. Top risotto with shrimp, chicken, mushrooms or sautéed veggies. Here, we add a couple ounces of goat cheese and mushrooms.
Serve immediately. Be ready to add the butter and parmesan cheese to finish the dish the moment it’s done cooking.
Mushroom and Goat Cheese Risotto
Equipment
- Sauce pan
- Stainless steel pan with straight sides
- Ladle
Ingredients
- 12 oz mushrooms sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil divided
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter divided
- 3/4 c onion or shallot minced or small dice (1/4")
- 2 cloves garlic (optional) minced
- 1 1/2 c Arborio, carnarolli, bomba or vialone nano rice short grain rice
- 1/2 c dry white wine, prosecco, vermouth or cognac
- 4 c chicken stock thin with a little water if needed until it is a nice chicken soup flavor
- salt to taste
- 1/3 c grated pecorino romano cheese
- 1/3 c grated parmesan reggiano cheese plus a little more for serving
- 2 oz goat cheese
Instructions
- Heat stock in saucepan until simmering. Maintain a very light simmer.
- Heat 1 T each olive oil and butter in a sturdy pan with straight sides on medium-high heat and sauté the mushrooms with a pinch of salt to release their liquids and caramelize them, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Lower the heat to medium. Add remaining 1 T olive oil and 1 T butter to the pan used to cook the mushrooms. Add the onions and garlic (if using), and gently sauté for 2 minutes, then add the rice. Stir to coat the rice in the oil and butter and gently toast the rice, 2 minutes more – do not brown the soffritto or the rice.
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Gently stir until fully absorbed before adding stock.
- Slowly add simmering stock, 1/2 cup at a time, gently stirring to ensure the stock is fully absorbed before adding more. Continue gradually adding stock and gently stirring until almost all of the stock has been used and the risotto is 90-95% done. This part of the process should take 15-20 minutes.
- Stir in remaining 2 T butter and both cheeses.
- Crumble goat cheese into the risotto, lightly stir to combine.
- Serve immediately. Stir in or top your risotto with the mushrooms when serving. Garnish with a little chopped parsley leaves and more cheese.