The Mailbox: Don’t rush this risotto
Butternut mushroom risotto
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes
Yvonne Mitchell of Fairfield wanted to try her hand at making risotto and was hoping for a recipe. Patience is the key to making risotto – you can't rush the process.
Karen Austin of Grass Valley shares this recipe.
5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
2 bay leaves
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 small butternut squash, peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
1/2 pound thinly sliced portobello mushrooms
1 1/4 cups uncooked arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons butter, optional
Bring the broth to a simmer and add thyme, sage and bay leaves. Keep it simmering.
In a heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add squash and mushrooms and cook, stirring almost constantly, for about 5 minutes.
Add rice and stir to coat well. Continue stirring for two minutes. Add wine and stir until liquid is absorbed.
Remove bay leaves from broth. Add 1/2 cup of the hot broth to rice mixture and cook, stirring constantly until the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time, and stir until the liquid is absorbed each time before adding the next 1/2 cup broth.
Add salt and pepper to taste, Parmesan cheese and butter (if using) and stir to mix well.
Per serving: 563 cal.; 14 g pro.; 84 g carb.; 17 g fat (4 sat.; 11 mono.; 2 polyunsat.); 6 mg chol,; 1415 mg sod.; 8 g fiber; 28 percent calories from fat.
Serves 4
How to contact The Mailbox
If you have recipes in reply to Mailbox reader requests, or questions or comments, write to: Mailbox, c/o Taste, The Sacramento Bee, P.O. Box 15779, Sacramento, CA 95852. You also can email twatson@sacbee.com or fax (916) 321-1109. Please include your full name, your city and phone number.
This story was originally published September 8, 2015 at 5:00 PM with the headline "The Mailbox: Don’t rush this risotto."