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Nothing beats homemade risotto! So elegant, rich and oh so velvety-creamy, made with white wine, thyme, and fresh Parmesan.
Making risotto at home does not have to be intimidating at all. All you need is an assortment of mushrooms, a nice white wine, freshly grated Parmesan, and a little bit of time and patience.
The key to a good risotto is to cook it on a low simmer, stirring constantly, and adding the stock gradually to let the rice fully absorb all that flavor and goodness for the creamiest texture.
You can use your favorite kind of mushrooms here, and you can save a little bit of the garlicky, buttery mushroom mixture as a topping for serving alongside some freshly shaved Parmesan. It will make all of the difference.
TOOLS FOR THIS RECIPE
WHAT MUSHROOMS ARE BEST HERE?
Cremini, baby bella, chanterelles, shiitake or oyster mushrooms are all great options. You can use an assortment or just one variety.
WHICH WHITE WINE WOULD YOU RECOMMEND HERE?
I recommend using a crisp, dry wine such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc.
DO I HAVE TO USE WHITE WINE?
The wine helps balance out the flavors a bit as its natural acidity helps cut through the richness of the dish. However, a little bit of lemon juice with vegetable broth can also be used for white wine as a non-alcoholic substitute.
- 6 cups chicken stock
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 ½ pounds assorted fresh mushrooms, sliced or chopped into bite-size pieces
- 2 shallots, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ cups arborio rice
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
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STOCK MIXTURE: Heat chicken stock and 1 teaspoon salt in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer.
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Melt butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and shallots. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about 8 minutes.
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Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside 1 cup mushroom mixture; keep warm.
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Stir in rice and thyme, stirring constantly, until lightly toasted and fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
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Stir in wine, stirring constantly and scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven, until almost completely absorbed, about 1-2 minutes.
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Reduce heat to low. Stir in 1 cup STOCK MIXTURE. Cook, stirring constantly, until almost completely absorbed.
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Continue adding remaining STOCK MIXTURE, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and waiting until almost completely absorbed before adding additional STOCK MIXTURE, until al dente, about 20 minutes.
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Stir in Parmesan; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
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Serve immediately with the reserved mushroom mixture and additional Parmesan, if desired.
