Look What a Snow Day Cooked Up

Buried under 10” of snow and piles of work, that trip to the grocery store never happened. “I have nothing in the house.” Sound familiar?

Digging through the pantry, the cogs in my brain start shaking off the dust. Dried mushrooms, chicken stock, hey! Is that some Arborio rice behind the Great Northern Beans? It is! Suddenly, dinner takes shape in my mind.

Wild Mushroom Risotto

~1 oz. dried wild mushrooms (Chanterelle, Shitake, Trumpet, etc.)
4-5 cups chicken stock
1 medium shallot, chopped finely
1 large garlic clove, minced
¾ cup Arborio Rice
½ cup dry white wine
1 Tbs unsalted butter
1/3 cup shredded or grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Place chicken stock in a small pot. Add dried mushrooms and bring stock just to a boil. Turn off heat, cover and let stand for 20 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, remove mushrooms. Let mushrooms cool and chop.
Turn heat back on under chicken stock to low and keep warm.

In a large, high sided skillet, heat 2 Tbs olive oil over medium to medium high heat.
Add shallot and cook until softened. Add garlic and stir, cooking until fragrant and soft, about 30 seconds.
Add Arborio rice, stirring until all grains are coated with the olive oil.
Add wine and stir constantly until wine is absorbed.
Add stock, ¼- ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly between each addition until absorbed. (Tip: If using a wooden spoon or Silicone spatula to stir, as you’re stirring, pull the spoon or spatula down the center of the rice. If the liquid immediately pools back to the center of the pan, keep stirring. If the liquid does not ooze back immediately, it’s time to add more)
Continue this process until the rice is opaque and creamy (you may want to taste for texture) ~ 18 minutes total.
Add in reserved reconstituted mushrooms, stir to combine.
Stir in butter. Once melted, stir in parmesan cheese.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 2.

A wonderful, cozy meal when you’re snowed in. Or any day! Bon Appetite.