Black Truffle Risotto

Black truffle risotto is on the menu today and this recipe is definitely a special splurge type recipe. Of course you could make it more everyday friendly by losing the truffles and it still will be fantastic. I know I personally don’t buy a lot of truffles but easily could replace this with an array of wild mushrooms. The secret or key to making any rice taste good is by cooking the rice in a flavorful broth or stock. The better your stock the better the rice. The rice grains will absorb the liquid as it cooks, so if you have a well seasoned stock then each grain of rice will be infused with great flavor. The less ingredients you want to make the risotto with the more you can concentrate on maximizing the ingredients potential in this case mushrooms. This will give you end product the richest and deepest flavor possible. Here is the recipe I hope you enjoy it!

Recipe Ingredients

1 cup of arborio rice

1/4 cup of shallot or yellow onion finely chopped (brunoise)

2 large portobello mushrooms

3 garlic cloves minced

1/4 cup of olive oil

1/3 cup of white wine

4-5 cups of mushroom stock or water

Salt and pepper

4 oz of maitake mushrooms

4 oz of mushroom medley

1/4 cup of cream

2 tbsp of butter and olive oil

2-3 oz of finely grated parmesan

3 tbsp of chopped fine chives

Salt and pepper

(truffle oil optional)

1 Black truffle sliced thin

For the risotto,

In a food processor add portobello mushrooms and pulse until the portobello or really small pieces but not quite mushy.  In a small sauce pot add olive oil, shallots, portobello, and garlic.  Sauté for two minutes and then add your rice.  Toast your rice for 2 to 3 minutes and then deglaze your rice with white wine.  Cook the wine until there is hardly any wine left at all.  Then ladle 8 oz your mushroom stock over the rice just enough to cover it.  Stir occasionally so the rice doesn't stick to the pan.   I am a believer in not having to stand and stir the rice every second because you have the tendency to break the rice grains by over stirring.  You stir enough so that there is liquid and that the rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.  Once the first round of stock has cooked (only should take a few minutes) and evaporated then repeat the first step and add another ladle of stock.  You will probably do this 4 more times until your risotto gets close to the point of finishing (tender rice grains with a bit of al-dente bite to it).  You want to add salt into the liquid and rice so that it is seasoned and not bland.  The rice should take on a brown color and flavor of mushrooms.   Once the rice starts turning an opaque color with a little white (raw rice) in the middle your getting really close to your rice being done.  Risotto should be al dente, with a little bite to it.  Otherwise you will have an overworked mushy rice, which no one wants to eat.  

In the restaurant business this is where you would pour the risotto out on to a baking sheet and spread thinly so the rice can cool completely and quickly. Then when you get an order for risotto you would heat the rice back up with garnishes and finish with whatever else you want to add to it. I do this because one, you can make it ahead of time and two it makes it easy to finish with other ingredients.

To Finish your risotto

Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and the mushrooms, and medley to a saute pan. Season with salt and cook for 7-8 minutes until tender. Then add the risotto to the pan. Add a touch of mushroom stock and cream. Bring to a bowl. Cook for a minute and then add your butter and parmesan cheese.  The rice should be nice a creamy now and you want to finish with salt, pepper, and chives.    Spoon the risotto onto plates, finish with a little parmesan, fresh sliced truffles and olive oil. Serve and enjoy!