Mushroom Risotto & Gordon Ramsey

Original Recipe & Photo from Closet Cooking

I have always heard about risottos and how yummy they can be. But thanks to Gordon Ramsey I’ve never attempted one. The man has scared me through the television! It seems that anytime I tuned in to watch Hell’s Kitchen someone was destroying a risotto. These are professionals I would think, and if they suck at risotto it must be the sultan of all food creations. But fear never gets anyone anywhere, so I managed the gumption to try a risotto.

Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients:
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup chicken stock (boiling)
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion (diced)
8 ounces mushrooms (sliced, I used a mix of cremini, shiitake and oyster)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 teaspoon thyme (chopped)
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock (or vegetable, warm)
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano (grated)
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon truffle oil (optional)
1 handful parsley (optional)

Directions:
1. Cover the dried porcini mushrooms in the stock and let sit for 20-30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan over medium heat.
3. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Add the fresh mushrooms and saute until they turn tender and release their moisture, about 10-15 minutes.
5. Add the garlic and thyme and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
6. By this time the dried mushrooms should be nice and soft so remove them from the stock, squeezing to drain and reserve all of the liquid.
7. Chop the reconstituted mushrooms and add them to the sauce pan.
8. Add the rice and toast until it starts to turn translucent, about 1-3 minutes.
9. Add the white wine, deglaze the bottom of the pan and cook while stirring until the wine has disappeared.
10. Mix the stock that the mushrooms were soaked in with another cup of stock and add it to the sauce pan 1/2 cup at a time while stirring until it has disappeared.
11. Add the butter and parmigiano reggiano and stir until it has melted.
12. Season with salt and pepper and a touch of truffle oil.
13. Serve garnished with parsley.

First, I do not own truffle oil and cannot imagine that I will anytime soon unless someone donates it to the cause. Second, I did not chop the porcini mushrooms and place them in the risotto, why? Because they tasted like dirt to me. Logan on the other hand really enjoyed them. Third, I added significantly more wine than this recipe called for. Lastly, this recipe lies!

1^st lie – It takes 8 times longer to make than this recipe eludes to.

2^nd lie – It takes 8 times the amount of liquid to make this recipe. After some reading I found a lot of chef’s have a pot of stock going while making risotto and continue to add stock in until the risotto is done.

3^rd lie – Which is more of a lack of admission to the fact that you may come out of this process looking like Arnold Schwarzenneger because all you will do for an hour is stir!

Alright, so after all this misleading information you will find yourself staring at your bowl of risotto and praying that all this time spent was worth it and that Gordon Ramsey isn’t going to holler at you somehow.

But after the stress and fear subsides you will find yourself frolicking in the grass with the sun shining on your back. Okay not really, but this risotto will definitely make you equally as happy. You will also find yourself wondering why the heck no one can make a risotto on Hell’s Kitchen. 

Would I Make it Again: Yes, especially when I feel the need to work out!
Noming Score: 4.25/5