It has been a long time since I cooked mushrooms. One of my favourite meals with mushrooms is risotto. I decided to follow Gordon Ramsay’s recipe from his book ‘Gordon Ramsay makes it easy’. It is indeed a pretty easy risotto recipe.

The original recipe is to use wild mushrooms, such as girolles and ceps. I have no idea what they look like, so I thought I’d just go to the market (Queens Victoria market) and see what they got there. I came back with button, swiss brown, shitake, oyster and enoki mushrooms. Not the particular wild mushrooms in the recipe, but I was so excited as I normally just used button mushrooms all the time. I could not wait to cook it and taste the result.

Risotto of mushrooms

(from ‘Gordon Ramsay makes it easy’, 2006)

(serves 4)

  • 1 litre of chicken/ vegetable stock. I used chicken stock (2 chicken stock cubes dissolved in hot water).
  • 3 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 2 large shallots, finely diced. I used 1 brown onion.
  • 2 celery sticks, finely sliced
  • 200 gr risotto rice
  • 1 small glass of dry white wine
  • 1 teaspoon of ground coriander
  • salt and pepper
  • 300 gr mixed mushrooms, cleaned and sliced. I used button, swiss brown, shitake, oyster and enoki mushrooms.
  • 2 tablespoons of light cream
  • 1 tablespoon of chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 tablespoons of freshly grated parmesan

Step 1. Bring the stock to boil in a pan and keep it at a low simmer.

Step 2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a deep saute pan (I used saucepan). Add the onions/ shallots and saute for 2-3 minutes until softened but not coloured. Add the celery and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Step 3. Stir in rice and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and cook until it has been absorbed, then add a ladleful of the hot stock with the ground coriander and cook, stirring, until the liquid has been absorbed.

Step 4. Continue to add the stock a ladleful at a time, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding any more, until the rice is al dente (cooked but firm to the bite). The risotto should be very moist and creamy. Add more stock if necessary to get the consistency you like. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 5. Heat the remaining olive oil in a saute pan, add the sliced mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until softenend, then stir through the risotto.

Step 6. Add the light cream, stir and divide the risotto into serving bowls. Scatter the herbs and parmesan over and serve.

Risotto of mushrooms

I reckon it’s the best risotto I have ever made! It’s light, moist, creamy and very tasty. Thanks Gordon 🙂

xxx,

Inge