I wrote this recipe for the Vernon Family Farms May 2018 newsletter. Vernon Family Farm is located in Newfields, NH and is one of my all time favorite farms!
My family and I have been big fans of the food and the farmers at Vernon Family Farm for years. As a nutritionist, the importance of pastured chicken and fresh, local veggies is a major priority. We are incredibly grateful for the tireless work Jeremiah, Nicole and the other farmers at VFF put in day in and day out, to provide the community with nutrient dense, local and delicious food. Thank you!
This risotto, made with VFF mushrooms, chicken broth made from their chicken bones, topped with their amazing chicken, is the ultimate nutritious comfort food. It’s really, really delicious.
This is a bit of a hands-on recipe and takes some time. I have read and tried out a lot of risotto recipes, and it always seems to take longer than suggested. It’s not that it’s difficult, it just needs some love. But it’s SO worth it. The broth is slowly added, so pour yourself a yummy drink, put on some good music, and plant yourself at the stove to make this risotto!
Tip: Have all of these ingredients measured and ready before you start cooking. If you warm the broth in a separate saucepan before adding to the risotto, it will cook faster.
Wild Mushroom Risotto
Ingredients
- 4 TBSP butter, cut into 4 pieces
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 16 oz VFF mushrooms – shitake & oyster, chopped
- 1 TBSP fresh or dried thyme
- 2 cups arborio rice
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 7 cups VFF chicken broth
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- sea salt & pepper to taste - taste first, the cheese is salty
- cooked VFF chicken, shredded and added on top - optional
Instructions
- In a saucepan, warm the broth. You don’t have to boil it, but warm it.
- In a large saute pan with high sides, or a dutch oven, melt 3 TBSP of butter. Once melted, add shallots. Cook butter and shallots for about 2 minutes, and then add mushrooms and thyme. Cook for about 5 minutes. If it gets too dry, just add a bit more butter!
- Add the rice and the remaining tablespoon of butter. This step is called “toasting” the rice and you should really smell it! Toast for about 3 minutes, or until the sides are translucent but the middle is opaque.
- Deglaze the pan with white wine. This adds another dimension of flavor, but all of the alcohol cooks off. Cook rice, shallot, mushrooms, thyme, butter and wine for about 3-4 minutes, or until the wine has reduced and the pan is dry.
- Slowly start adding the broth, one half cup at a time (it can be tempting to add more broth than this at once, but this is why you have your drink and music!). Stir often to keep everything moving and evenly mixed. Once the broth has been absorbed by the rice and the pan seems dry, add more broth.
- Continue with adding the broth for about 30-45 minutes, or until it tastes al dente. You may end up with extra broth if it is seems al dente before it’s all gone. Cooking risotto always seems to take longer than I anticipate, but like I said, it’s so worth it!
- Remove from heat and add the cheese and remaining butter. Taste and add sea salt and pepper as you wish.
- Serve. Take a deep breath. Thank your farmers and the animal you’re about to eat.
