I love spring! It’s not just because of warm weather and vibrant colours outside but also due to abundance of fresh ingredients available. The sweet, mild taste of spring onions goes well with the earthy flavours of mushrooms. To me the best way of combining these simple ingredients together is to make Risotto.
Risotto is a northern Italian rice dish that is cooked in a broth until it becomes a creamy consistency. This broth can be made from seafood, vegetables, or poultry which is what I use in mine.
I like to use white wine but you can substitute this for butter or skip it all together. If you desire, meats, poultry, or seafood can be added but I like to serve mine as a side dish. This dish sets the mood for a romantic dinner in. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 3 cups of Arborio Rice
- 1 spring onion
- 1.5 lbs of fresh mushrooms
- 1 L of chicken stock
- 1/2 cup of white wine
- parmesan cheese
1. Cut onion and mushrooms into strips. Place oil and mushrooms into pan. Sautee on medium high heat until golden brown and set aside.
2. Add oil and onions into the same pan. Sautee on medium high heat until onions caramelize.
3. Once your onions have turned medium brown, add rice. Stir with onions and if needed add more oil. You want the rice to absorb all of the oil. Let simmer for about 5 minutes and then add your white wine.
4. Once all of the white wine is absorbed into the rice, add in your chicken stock. Cover and let simmer for about 15 minutes. If rice is not completely cooked once liquid starts to evaporate add water 1 cup at a time. This will avoid the risotto from overcooking and becoming mushy.
5. Once must of the liquid has evaporated add mushrooms. Mix together and place cover back on and let simmer for another 5 minutes.
6. Add parmesan cheese on top and stir together.
7. Dish out the risotto and add more cheese ontop to taste. You can enjoy this alone or aside a salad and roasted chicken.
