Always on point with food and wine pairings, Tank Garage Winery has yet another recipe to add to the collection featuring mushrooms! If there’s one thing Tank loves about winter in California, it’s the abundance of wild mushrooms growing up and down the coast. Chanterelles, Black Trumpets, Hedgehog and Porcini mushrooms are just a few of the fantastic fungi they’ve come to love, which make an excellent pairing to the cool, California wines found at Tank Garage Winery. This Mushroom Risotto recipe below is easy to prepare and enjoy with the limited release, Barn Dance Mourvèdre.
Mushroom Risotto by Grace Coyne, Tank Garage Winery
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 qt mushroom stock
water, as needed
2 lbs mushrooms, sliced (we recommend using several varieties)
olive oil
1 each yellow onion, minced
1 head garlic, minced
1/2 c dry white wine
1 1/2 c Arborio rice
4 tbs butter
1 c parmesan cheese, finely grated with a microplane
kosher salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
microgreens (optional) to garnish
Tools Needed:
chefs knife
cutting board
1 sheet pan
mixing bowl
1 large cast-iron skillet or sauté pan with 4″ sides or a dutch oven
1 wooden spoon or heat-proof spatula
1 microplane
tasting spoons
serving bowls
Method:
Bring mushroom stock to a low simmer over the stove and hold for later use.
Using the dry fry method, cook mushrooms in batches in a hot cast iron or nonstick pan without oil. This method allows the mushrooms to cook in their own juices, leading to a more concentrated flavor. Once the mushrooms begin to brown (about 5-10 min), add a bit of oil or butter to achieve a crispy exterior and season them to taste. Set a side on a sheet pan lined with paper towels for future use.
While your mushrooms are cooking, mince onion until the pieces are approximately the size of a grain of rice. Mince garlic and set aside.
In a large cast-iron skillet, heavy sauté pan or dutch oven, heat approximately 2 tablespoons olive oil until you see a slight ripple indicating the oil is hot. Add minced onions, season with salt and sweat over medium heat until translucent and completely soft (taste the onions to make sure they are soft. Nobody likes crunchy onions in risotto). Do not brown your onions! Once onions have cooked, turn the heat to low, add garlic, season and stir until fragrant. Add Arborio rice and stir to coat with oil. Keep on stirring to parch the rice – do not brown the rice!
When the rice has taken on a slightly translucent appearance (approximately 2-3 minutes), add the wine and stir continuously. Tip: Make sure to rub your spatula across the bottom of the pan to pick up any bits of fond from cooking the onions and garlic! Reduce wine while stirring gently until fully absorbed.
Adding 1/2 c of stock at a time, gently but continuously stir the rice until all the liquid has been absorbed. This process may use more than 1 qt of stock – if you need more liquid, water can be used to finish the cooking process. Note: The continuous stirring, along with the slow additions of liquid, is what creates the creamy texture Risotto is known for. Don’t rush this step, and don’t leave your pan unattended. Taste the rice throughout this process to test for doneness and season as needed. Rice should be al dente.
Add butter and parmesan and stir until fully incorporated. Add mushrooms, reserving a few of each variety for garnish. Taste and season as needed.
To serve, garnish with a bit of the reserved mushrooms, a bit of freshly grated parmesan and herbs (optional).
Tip: Have leftovers? Cool mixture and form into 1″ balls or small disks. Coat with flour, egg wash and panko to fry up for some killer Arancinis later on in the week! (These can also be frozen for up to 1 month)