of mushroom season! But don’t despair… there’s still time to get your fungi fix! They say not to wash but just brush away the dregs of dirt that cling to your precious caps. Then loosely wrap them in a flour sack towel and store them in the fridge… they can breathe that way.
As for cooking? Mushrooms love butter and salt and so do we. Make sure to try our recipe for a “Medley of Wild Mushroom Risotto”…. it’s earthly delicious!
Mushrooms Ingredients…
4 cups wild mushrooms, brushed and sliced
4 Tablespoons clarified butter
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped finely
2 large garlic cloves, chopped finely
Risotto Ingredients…
2 cups Aborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
6+ cups turkey, chicken or mushroom stock, warmed through
1 cup freshly grated Pecorino
Freshly ground white pepper to taste
a handful Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped finely
To Make…
On a medium-high flame, heat clarified butter until just sizzling. Add prepared mushrooms and rosemary sprigs. Sauté 5+ minutes or until nicely browned. Remove pan from heat and season with Maldon Sea Salt Flakes and freshly ground white pepper. Stir and set aside.
In a heavy, wide bottomed pan on a medium flame, heat the extra virgin olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add the onion; season it with sea salt and cook until it is clear and soft, about 8 minutes or so. Add the chopped garlic, mix in the rice and stir until well coated. Up the heat to medium-high, add the wine and cook until evaporated. Then, begin to add warmed stock a couple of ladles at a time and stirring until liquid is absorbed. This process should result in a creamy and tender but not overly soft risotto and should take about twenty minutes or so. Taste along the way for doneness.
Remove from heat and stir in Pecorino until melted through. Then, stir in mushroom mixture and season to taste with more Maldon and freshly ground pepper as needed. Serve immediately on warmed plates. Garnish with grated Pecorino and chopped parsley.