Risotto is one of my favorite side dishes. Its ooey, gooey, cheesy goodness is the ultimate in comfort food. Fortunately, it's fairly easy to make, with patience and lots of stirring. Tonight I decided to add mushrooms, and it was delicious with our chicken cooked on the grill.
Serves 4.
Ingredients
32 oz. chicken stock
2 tablespoons butter
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced thin (I used button and cremini)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano (grated)
salt to taste
Directions
Bring chicken stock to a boil in a sauce pan, then simmer on low.
Melt the butter in a separate pan over medium heat.
Add fresh mushrooms and saute until they turn tender, about 10 minutes.
Add the minced garlic and saute about one minutes, stirring throughout.
Add the arborio rice and toast about 2 minutes, stirring constantly until it begins to become translucent.
Start adding stock to the rice mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until it is has been absorbed. As it begins to look dry, stir in another 1/2 cup of stock. This is where the patience comes into play. Find yourself a good book, or fire up your iPod, because you are going to need to be by the pan stirring in the liquid.
As the risotto absorbs the liquid, it get tender and sticky. After the chicken stock is fully added, you should have a pan full of soft rice that is ready for the cheese.
Add the grated parmesan and stir until it has melted throughout.
Season with salt to taste.
Grate more parmesan over the bowls when serving if you want an extra kick of cheese.
This was so good, and it was delicious with the grilled chicken. A couple of tweaks for next time: chop the mushrooms smaller and thinner. The whole family gave it rave reviews and it was simple enough to do anytime.
What additions do you love in your risotto? Post in the comments so I can steal some good ideas.
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