Recipe of the Week: Mushroom Risotto

I love risotto and it's the perfect gluten-free food.  My favorite things to cook with are those that are versitile.  I love making pasta, pizza, and risotto for this reason.  There are a million different ways to top a pizza and I haven't even stratched the surface on the different ways make pasta.  Risotto is the same way.  I'm a big fan of mushrooms so I really liked this mushroom risotto recipe. 

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 cups flavorful mushrooms such as shiitake, chanterelle, or oyster mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and cut into half inch to inch pieces
• 2/3 cup brandy, vermouth, or dry white wine {we used white cooking wine}
• 5-6 cups chicken stock* (use vegetable stock for vegetarian option)
• 1/3 cup of peeled and minced shallots (OR 1/3 cup of yellow or white onion, finely chopped)
• 1 3/4 cups arborio rice or other risotto rice
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley or chives

*If cooking gluten-free, use homemade stock or gluten-free packaged stock.

Directions:

1. Bring stock to a simmer in a saucepan.
2. Melt the butter in a deep, heavy, medium sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and shallots and sauté about 5 minutes (if using chanterelles, dry sauté first for a minute or two and let the mushrooms cook in their own juices before adding the butter). Add the rice and stir to combine.
3. Add brandy, bring to a boil, and reduce liquid by half, about 3-4 minutes. Add simmering stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring enough to keep the rice from sticking to the edges of the pan. Stir the rice almost constantly — stirring sloughs off the starch from the rice, making the creamy sauce you're looking for in a risotto. Wait until the stock is almost completely absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup. This process will take about 25 minutes. The rice should be just cooked and slightly chewy.
4. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or chives.

Yield: Serves 4-6.