Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 1 Shallot
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 300 g Button or crimini mushrooms
• 400 g Risotto rice (Arborio, Carnaroli or Vialone Nano)
• 1/2 cup White wine
• Mushroom or chicken stock
• Butter
• Grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese

Method

Heat olive oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Dice the shallot finely and crush the garlic; add both to the oil and cook until translucent and just beginning to colour at the edges—about 3 minutes. This builds the aromatic base. Slice the mushrooms into quarters; they'll shed liquid as they cook, and larger pieces hold texture better than thin slices. Add them to the pan with a pinch of salt. The salt draws moisture out initially, then the moisture evaporates and the mushroom surfaces caramelise. Cook for 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they're deeply browned and the pan bottom shows caramelised fond. You're after colour, not speed.

Scatter the rice across the pan and stir constantly for 60 seconds. You're toasting the outer starch layer, which creates a slight resistance in the final dish—essential to risotto. Toast too long and you'll blunt the rice's capacity to release starch and absorb liquid; the risotto becomes grainy instead of creamy. Pour in the white wine and scrape the pan bottom to lift the fond. Stir until the wine is almost fully absorbed—about 2 minutes. The acid in the wine tempers the richness of what's coming.

Begin adding stock, warmed in a separate pan, one ladle at a time. Stir constantly. Each addition should be absorbed before the next goes in—there's no fixed timing because rice varies in absorption and pan temperature varies. Watch for the moment the rice surface becomes just barely visible beneath a thin layer of liquid, then add more. This emulsification of starch, fat, and stock is what builds creaminess. After 18–22 minutes, taste a grain: it should have a slight resistance at the centre (al dente), not chalky, not blown apart. This is your cue to stop.

Remove from heat. Add a knob of cold butter and a handful of grated Pecorino or Parmesan—about 50–75g depending on cheese sharpness and your taste. Stir vigorously for 30 seconds. The cold fat and cheese emulsify into the hot risotto, coating each grain and thickening the liquid slightly. This is mantecatura, and it's non-negotiable. Taste for salt and black pepper. Serve immediately in warm bowls.