Mark McEwan: The mushroom risotto of your dreams

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This article was published 11/12/2021 (1749 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Every Saturday, Chef Mark McEwan, one of Canada’s most celebrated chefs, serves up everything you need for a special weekend meal, including a recipe and expert at-home cooking tips.

Mushroom risotto may be the most luxurious starch you can add to any meal. Choosing the top-quality mushrooms to include in this recipe is part of the fun. Chanterelles, a wild mushroom, are my personal favourite — they have a lovely colour, rich flavour and an overall sense of luxury. To make this a full meal, I’d start with an appetizer of oysters and end on a light note with a citrus tart for dessert. For wine, I like a Barolo.

Chef tips:

1. Risotto can be finicky. A common mistake is not using hot stock. Make sure you add your hot stock one small ladle at a time and stir consistently.

2. Clean your mushrooms using a soft brush.

3. This risotto dish is very versatile and pairs well with most meats, including roast chicken or a perfect steak.

Risotto with Mushrooms and Shaved Truffle

3 cups (750 mL) mixed top-quality mushrooms (porcini, chanterelles, blue foot, etc.)

1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil

1/4 tsp minced rosemary

Squeeze of lemon juice

Salt and pepper

1 batch basic risotto

1/4 cup (60 mL) truffle paste

1/4 cup (60 mL) Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated

2 tbsp (30 mL) butter

Ground white pepper

Garnish

3 tbsp (50 mL) Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated

1 small truffle (about 3 oz/90 g)

Truffle oil

Clean mushrooms. Trim stems and add them to the vegetable stock (to be used to prepare the risotto); simmer for 1 hour. Strain stock and discard stems. (This step may be omitted, in which case, simply discard the stems.) Slice mushrooms about 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick. In a sauté pan on medium heat, cook mushrooms in olive oil until they wilt. When their liquid evaporates, stir in rosemary, deglaze the pan with lemon juice and season. Set aside.

Begin cooking the risotto. When rice is about 5 minutes away from being done, stir in mushrooms. When rice is very close to cooked — and the supply of stock virtually exhausted — stir in truffle paste. Add cheese and stir until heated through. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Taste, and correct seasonings with salt and white pepper. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan, scattered with truffle shavings and drizzled with truffle oil. Serves 4.

Basic risotto

3 tbsp (50 mL) olive oil

1 cup (250 mL) onion, minced

Salt

1 tsp (5 mL) garlic, minced

1 1/2 cup (325 mL) Carnaroli rice

1/2 cup (125 mL) white wine

5 cups (1.25 L) vegetable stock, at a simmer

1/4 cup (60 mL) Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated

2 tbsp (30 mL) butter

Ground pepper

Heat 2 tbsp (30 mL) of oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add onions, salt lightly and sweat, stirring frequently so that onions do not brown. When, after 5 or 6 minutes, onions begin to wilt, add the garlic and cook a minute longer. Add rice. Stir well to coat with oil; add more oil if necessary. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until grains of rice begin to acquire translucence (if uncertain, lift a few grains from the pan and examine them against the dark backdrop of your wooden spoon). When that is achieved, deglaze with wine.

When wine has been reduced to a syrup, add 1/2 cup (125 mL) of hot stock. Stir again. When liquid once again thickens, add another 1/4 cup (60 mL) stock and stir again. Season lightly. Stir regularly and build seasoning gradually as you go. Continue until the rice is nearly cooked and the stock nearly finished. Serves 4.

Vegetable stock

3 medium Spanish onions, very coarsely chopped

2 large carrots, very coarsely chopped

1/2 bunch celery, very coarsely chopped

1/2 bunch thyme

1/2 bunch parsley without leaves (or 1/4 bunch with leaves)

4 bay leaves

1 tbsp (15 mL) black peppercorn

In a stockpot, add about 15 quarts (15 L) of water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Add vegetables. Simmer, uncovered, for at least 3 hours and up to overnight. Strain stock and chill. Keeps for about 1 week in the fridge and about 6 months in the freezer. Makes 12 quarts.

Chef Mark McEwan is a Toronto-based chef, entrepreneur, mentor and writer of bestselling cookbooks. He is a freelance contributor for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @chef_MarkMcEwan