Wild Mushroom Risotto
Annabel Hughes cooks, gardens, and forages in the Zambezi Valley on a farm upriver from Victoria Falls in Zambia. Read her blog at www.SavannaBel.com.
Copyright Annabel Hughes & SavannaBel – www.savannabel.com
- Servings Makes 2 to 4 servings
Ingredients
- 250 grams (3 cups) wild mushrooms, thoroughly washed and roughly chopped
- 1 liter (4 cups) vegetable stock
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) olive oil
- 57 grams (2 ounces) butter
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 237 ml (1 cup) Arborio rice
- 237 ml (1 cup) dry white wine
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus 30 ml (2 tablespoons) for garnish
- 30 ml (2 tablespoons) finely chopped fresh oregano leaves, plus 5 ml (1 teaspoon) for garnish
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Preparation
1. Bring 237 ml (1 cup) water to a boil. Place the mushrooms in a medium saucepan, and add the boiling water. Gently press the mushrooms down so they are covered, and set aside for 20 minutes.
2. Remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon, squeezing out excess liquid, and set them aside. Add the vegetable stock to the saucepan, and bring to a bare simmer.
3. Heat the olive oil and butter in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until very soft but not browned. (To prevent browning, cover the pan between stirs.) Stir in the garlic. Increase heat to high, add rice, and stir, coating well with the fat, until the rice is almost translucent. Add the wine, stirring until it is absorbed by the rice, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Add the hot stock, 118 ml (½ cup) at a time, stirring each addition until absorbed by the rice. Continue doing this until all the stock is used up and the rice is soft and creamy, about 18 minutes.
5. Carefully mix the softened mushrooms through the rice and cook for a couple more minutes (the time will be dependent on the type of mushroom you forage). Remove from the heat, and add the Parmesan cheese and fresh oregano. Season with a little salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with a sprinkling of cheese and oregano. Serve immediately.
Annabel Hughes
Annabel Hughes cooks, gardens, and forages in the Zambezi Valley on a farm upriver from Victoria Falls in Zambia. In her blog, SavannaBel, she writes about the joys and challenges of creating, adapting, and executing recipes in a bush kitchen in semi-arid Kalahari sand watered by the Zambezi River. Previously, Annabel worked as a journalist and activist in London and Washington, D.C. She has been published in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and southern Africa, and has worked for CNN International. Annabel moved back to Africa, where she was born and grew up, at the end of 2012.
Courtesy photo
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