MUSHROOM RISOTTO

Dare i say vegetarian? This robust ,gutsy, meaty dish is a vegetarian delight. So what? Consider that most vegetarians that i know well, will not let much in the way of vegetable matter pass their lips -resulting in a diet consisting of Cheddar, bread and confectionery, while the other end of the spectrum consists of my carnivorous friends who just do not understand that vegetarian can = great taste! On several occasions friends have shown up after work for a cup of chai and a chat, resulting in an extra place happily laid at the table. An hour or so would pass after the unexpected guest had eaten for the subject of say, vegetarian food to be raised.

First reaction from unexpected guest would normally warrant ;

"Not for me, can not stand the stuff"

"What do you class as vegetarian - then mate"

"Well bland comes to mind"

"Did you enjoy your unexpected supper?"

"Yeah- great mate"

"That was vegetarian"

"Yeah right!"

"Honest mate- you see, that dish you just ate unexpectedly, did not contained one meat based product"

"Well i never thought about it like that, it never crossed my mind that we were eating veggie food"

So the story goes that veggie food is bland, unexciting and certainly given a bad name by silly products that veggies buy to avoid the issues of eating you guessed - VEGETABLES. Eventually the conversation arrives at the phrase vegetarian - With a conclusion that the term is used and abused for the wrong reasons, with the term itself misleading people, and not actually guiding people to what vegetarian food can be!

While i will never be a vegetarian, i do eat a lot of vegetarian home cooked food and will actively seek out, if available the vegetarian options in good restaurants. I know how to cook meat, after years of experiments i know what i like, a fish cooked by a top chef will more than likely be great if not fussed over and fresher than most people will be accustomed too, but i want to know what these guys can do with the humble carrot or a basket of beets or a wonderful risotto made without meat based stock, this too me in some ways is the essence of good food and cooking, which in turn brings us too this humble but welcoming mushroom risotto made without anything with a face!

RECIPE;

500g arborio or risotto rice

1.5 Lt's of good vegetable stock or very good quality veg stock cube with a low salt content

500ml mushroom stock(reserved from reconstituted dried mushrooms)

1 large white onion - finely chopped

1 medium clove of garlic- very finely chopped

100 ml dry vermouth

150g open mushrooms(Chestnut or field) - sliced

20g- 40g dried porcini (reconstituted in boiling 500ml boiling water)

80g unsalted butter

1 tbsp of olive oil

2 tsp of fresh thyme

50-60g freshly grated Parmesan + extra for the table

Freshly ground sea salt and fresh black pepper

METHOD;

Have at the ready a pan with your vegetable stock at the boil, drain the reserved mushroom stock into the pan of veg stock, and bring back to the boil. Heat a large enough saute pan with half the butter and the olive oil, once at a medium heat add the porcini mushrooms, saute for a minute before adding the onion and garlic. Allow to soften, but do not colour, once softened add the sliced mushrooms. Saute for two minutes or until the mushrooms lose there raw edge - Season. Add the dry vermouth and allow to bubble before adding the risotto rice. Allow the rice to absorb the vermouth and fats that remain in the pan. This stage is now the crucial act that will determine the end product. The risotto will require your undivided attention and constant stirring for a minimum of 15 minutes but anywhere as high as 20 minutes is not unknown.

Once the vermouth has been absorbed, you will add a ladle full of boiling stock, waiting for the rice to absorb all liquid before adding the next ladle. The rice requires stirring at all times. You will continue to ladle stock until you have achieved a creamy consistency, the rice will need to be soft on the outside with an al dente middle.

A minute before you feel the rice is ready, remove from the heat and stir in the remaining butter and Parmesan cheese, once combined the rice will look glossy and extra creamy, now add the fresh thyme and repeat the stir, adjust seasoning if needed and serve immediately as if you have not eaten for weeks. This part is important!

If feeling flush add truffle, for the rest of us a good drizzle of truffle oil will lift the taste to new heights. While not essential truffle oil will give a luxurious edge to a rich warming robust dish that invokes memories of the land!

NOTES;

DO NOT WASH RISOTTO RICE BEFORE USE!

click on bad photograph, to view close up of finished texture!