Creamy Mushroom Risotto
A super easy Creamy Mushroom Risotto made with chanterelle and chestnut mushrooms, fresh thyme and parmesan cheese. This risotto is ultra comforting and great for busy weeknights!
A super easy Creamy Mushroom Risotto made with chanterelle and chestnut mushrooms, fresh thyme and parmesan cheese. This risotto is ultra comforting and great for busy weeknights!
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 pinch salt and pepper
- 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp mascarpone
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme
- 14.1 oz (400g) arborio rice
- 4 cups (1 litre) litre chicken stock
- 3.5 oz (100g) chanterelle mushrooms (finely sliced)
- 3.5 oz (100g) chestnut mushrooms ((crimini) finely slice
- 1 white onion (finely chopped)
- 2 tbsp parmesan (freshly grated)
- Carbohydrate 0.147258333349396 g
- Cholesterol 2.65833333108611 mg
- Fat 0.830826665973984 g
- Fiber 0.0280000000568076 g
- Protein 0.154428333234748 g
- Saturated Fat 0.467157332941106 g
- Serving Size 1 1 people (104g)
- Sodium 59.452833326812 mg
- Sugar 0.119258333292589 g
- Trans Fat 0.119399166569182 g
- Calories 8 calories
Step-by-step
- Put the chicken stock in a pot under a medium heat.
- Add 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pan under a medium heat. Finely chop the onion and add to the pan, saute until the onions are translucent.
- Add the garlic, mushrooms and thyme leaves to the pan with the onions, fry for 2 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Add the arborio rice and stir until it has soaked up all the flavours and mixed thoroughly with the onions and mushrooms.
- Add around 2-3 ladles of chicken stock until the rice is covered and add a small pinch salt and pepper. Stir constantly until the rice starts to absorb the stock.
- Continue adding one ladle of stock at a time allowing the rice to absorb the stock each time whilst constantly stirring. Continue until stock is used up, the rice should be perfectly cooked at this point, if not you can add an extra 100ml (1/3 cup) of water or stock.
- Turn off the heat and add 2 tbsp parmesan, the mascarpone and any extra salt if needed. Stir everything together an serve in bowls.
Operating without a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven requires careful heat management, as thin aluminum pots create hot spots that scorch arborio rice grains before their starches can properly gelatinize. Achieving a velvety consistency relies heavily on continuous agitation, which mechanically shears the starch molecules away from the exterior of the grains and suspends them in the simmering chicken stock. Maintaining the stock at a gentle simmer in a separate pot prevents the temperature of the cooking rice from dropping abruptly each time a fresh ladle is added, ensuring even starch hydration throughout the process. Combining earthy chanterelle and chestnut mushrooms with aged parmesan and mascarpone introduces glutamates and dairy fats that coat the tongue, balancing the savory umami compounds released during the long, deliberate reduction.
A wide, shallow pan measuring at least twelve inches across provides the necessary surface area for rapid, even evaporation of the one liter of liquid. When the white onions sweat in olive oil over medium heat, translucent visual cues indicate that the cellular walls have softened sufficiently without browning. Precise control over the burner prevents the finely chopped garlic from burning within the two-minute window allotted for sautéing the aromatics and sliced fungi. If the rice begins to dry out before reaching an al dente bite, supplementing with warm water in one-third cup increments corrects the moisture deficit without diluting the residual seasoning.
Constant stirring forces the grains to rub against one another, abrading the outer starch layers into the simmering liquid to build a rich emulsion without requiring heavy cream. Turning off the heat entirely before folding in the grated parmesan and mascarpone prevents the dairy proteins from curdling under direct thermal stress. Residual heat melts the fats uniformly through the finished rice, locking in moisture and delivering a glossy finish that holds its shape on the plate.
Vessel Selection and Heat Distribution
A wide, shallow pan measuring at least twelve inches across provides the necessary surface area for rapid, even evaporation of the one liter of liquid. When the white onions sweat in olive oil over medium heat, translucent visual cues indicate that the cellular walls have softened sufficiently without browning. Precise control over the burner prevents the finely chopped garlic from burning within the two-minute window allotted for sautéing the aromatics and sliced fungi. If the rice begins to dry out before reaching an al dente bite, supplementing with warm water in one-third cup increments corrects the moisture deficit without diluting the residual seasoning.
Starch Release and Emulsification
Constant stirring forces the grains to rub against one another, abrading the outer starch layers into the simmering liquid to build a rich emulsion without requiring heavy cream. Turning off the heat entirely before folding in the grated parmesan and mascarpone prevents the dairy proteins from curdling under direct thermal stress. Residual heat melts the fats uniformly through the finished rice, locking in moisture and delivering a glossy finish that holds its shape on the plate.
