Jamie Oliver's creamy mushroom risotto

recipe simplified from Cook with Jamie

serves 8

Ingredients:
1 liter + 700ml stock
2 tabs olive oil
1 large onion, peel and finely chopped
4-5 sticks of celery, trimmed and finely chopped
600g risotto rice
250ml dry white wine

100g butter
4 large handfuls of wild fresh mushrooms
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbs thyme leaves
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1-2 handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 handful of fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon (2 tbs)
Extra virgin olive oil

method:
1. Heat a large frying pan, add a knob of butter to it and when it starts to foam, add the mushrooms with a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss around and cook for a minute and then add the thyme and garlic. Five a pan a good shake and cook for a further 2 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender and season to taste. Leave aside.

2. Bring the stock to simmer in a saucepan. Put the olive oil and butter in a separate large pan, adding the onion and celery and cook very gently for about 15 minutes, without colouring, until soft. Add the rice (it will sizzle) and turn up the heat. Don’t let the rice/ veg catch on the bottom of the pan, stir it continuously.

3. Quickly pour in the vermouth or wine. You will smell the alcohol immediately; so keep stirring all the time until it has evaporated, leaving the rice with a lovely perfume.

4. Add the stock to the rice a ladle at a time, stirring and waiting until it has been fully absorbed before adding the next. Turn the heat down to low so the rice doesn’t cook too quickly. Continue to add ladlefuls of stock until it has all been absorbed. This should take about 14 to 15 minutes and give you rice that is beginning to soften but still a little al dente. (you will use around 1 litre of stock by this stage.)

5. Add the mushrooms and 350ml of stock. Stirring all the time, gently bring to the boil and then turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook until all the stock has been absorbed. Add the rest of the stock a ladleful at a time until the rice is cooked. You might not need to use all your stock. Be careful not to overcook the rice- check it through out to make sure it’s a pleasure to eat. It should hold its shape but be soft, creamy and oozy and slightly looser than you think you want it.

6. Turn off the heat, beat in the rest of the butter, Parmesan, parsley and lemon juice, and then check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed. Put a lid on the pan and leave the risotto to rest for a minute. Serve in the middle of the table or divide the risotto between individual serving plates. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and put a block of Parmesan on the table for grating over.

comments:
Weiqin loves it to bits...very creamy and very satisfying but i reckon it's mainly cos she is such a butter fanatic.....if you r a guy, i think this will be great for impressing a date with a glass of chilled white!