Mushroom and leek risotto with caramelized onions, olives, parmesan and a drizzle of truffle oil.
If you have been an ardent fan of MasterChef Australia, you would know that risotto was called the death dish. Talking of MCAU, how freaking amazing is this new season!? Just so inspiring to watch these amazing Home cooks take it up to the next level.
Risotto is made from arborio rice – a short grain, traditional Italian rice. Cooked with stock and constantly stirring the dish until it reaches a creamy consistency but the rice still has a bit to it. I agree, it is very intimidating to even attempt it. But I took a leap of faith in winter and now it is the perfect one-pot meal for me!
Getting the perfect risotto in the first try
It is a dish that you can very easily mess up. So, there are a few things you want to keep in mind. And the first and most important one is – DO NOT LEAVE THE PAN UNMANNED! You leave your rice on the flame and you will have a blob mush to eat. Period.
Rice – Choose good quality arborio rice to really get that texture right. You can also attempt this with risone/ orzo pasta but the cook time will be much shorter.
White wine – We add wine to bring some acidity to the otherwise creamy dish. You can replace it with white wine vinegar or brine.
Stock – Risotto is essentially cooked in stock, you can use chicken, vegetable or make your own. Whatever is convenient. If you run out of stock, you can also add water in the end.
Skillet – Use a well-seasoned skillet or non-stick pan. And please use a wooden or silicone spatula. It breaks my heart to see people use steel utensils on perfectly beautiful cookware.
Let’s get cooking!
Check out some of my other favourite Italian picks –
Skillet gnocchi
Foolproof pizza dough
Garlic dough balls
Pancetta aglio e olio
Ingredients for Mushroom and Leek Risotto – serves 3
- Arborio rice – 1 cup
- Olive oil – 2 tbsp
- Butter – 2 tbsp
- White wine – 1/3 cup
- Garlic – 1 tbsp
- Onions – 3/4 cup, sliced
- Leeks – 250g, sliced
- Mushrooms – 300g, sliced (I used oyster, but you can use any or a mix)
- Olives – 1/4 cup
- Parmesan cheese – 1/2 cup, grated
- Salt and pepper – to taste
- Vegetable stock – 4 cups
- Truffle oil – to drizzle (optional)
Method for Mushroom and Leek Risotto
- Start by cooking the mushrooms first. Heat up your skillet and add 1tbsp olive oil. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for 7-8 minutes on medium heat until brown. Remove and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1tbsp of olive oil and butter and coat the skillet well.
- Add the sliced onions, leeks and garlic to the skillet. Cook for about 5 minutes on medium-low heat until they begin to sweat.
- Add the rice, and stir to completely coat in the oil. Toast for 3-4 minutes, your rice will start becoming opaque and white-ish in colour.
- Pour the white wine and stir continuously until it is completely absorbed.
- Now, this is where you start flexing your muscles. Start by adding 1 cup of broth at a time to the pan, continuously keep stirring until the stock is absorbed by the rice. You will notice that the rice will start to cook and soften as it absorbs more and more stock. Don’t stir vigorously, be gentle, but keep stirring CONSTANTLY! (I mean I cannot stress this enough!) The whole cooking process will take 25-30 minutes. Cook on medium-low heat.
- At the 20 minute mark, add the mushrooms so that the rice absorbs the umami flavour. Mix and keep stirring.
- Once the rice is completely cooked, add the olives and parmesan cheese and mix well. Adjust the seasoning as per your taste.
Dish out and serve with a generous drizzle of truffle oil for that umami bomb and a glass of chilled white wine!
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