Mushroom risotto

Hello :) I'm just going to put it out there and say, sometimes it's quite difficult cooking vegetarian food my meat eating boyfriend Adrian likes! ....."You don't like quinoa?!"

So when he came over for lunch today I contemplated what to make. And then bam! Mushroom risotto it was. I'd actually made this for him once before and he loves mushrooms, cause lets face it they're kind of 'meaty' looking! Perfect. Risotto isn't something I'd usually make, but occasionally the mix of arborio rice, white wine & parmesan sounds quite scrumptious & comforting! Add in some onion, parsley, vegetable stock, a heap of mushrooms and a touch of butter...yum :)

Easy Mushroom Risotto (adapted from Jamie Oliver)
Ingredients-
approx. 500mL of vegetable stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
200g arborio/risotto rice
50mL dry white vermouth or dry white wine
knob of butter
handful of parmesan
a few handfuls of chopped mushrooms (any kind)
1 small handful of parsley
1 small handful of thyme (optional)
sea salt & pepper

Method- 
1. Heat the stock. Then in a separate pan heat the olive oil, add the shallot or onion and a pinch of salt, and sweat for a few minutes (...the vegetables, don't go & exercise!). After about 3 minutes add the garlic and stir for another 2 minutes. When the onion and garlic have softened turn up the heat and add the rice. This begins to fry the rice. Keep the rice moving and after 2 or 3 minutes it will begin to look translucent as it absorbs all the flavours of the base.

2. Add the vermouth or wine and continue to stir. It will sizzle around the rice, evaporating any harsh alcohol flavours and leaving the rice with a tasty essence.

3. Once the vermouth or wine seems to have cooked into the rice, add your first ladle of hot stock and a pinch of salt. Turn down the heat to a highish simmer (you don't boil the heck out of it, because then the rice will be cooked and fluffy and the inside will be raw). Keep adding ladlefuls of stock, stirring and allowing each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next. This will take about 15 minutes.

4. When the rice is soft but with a slight bite, remove from the heat and add the butter and the parmesan and stir gently. Serves 2-3. 

Ta-daaaa! The risotto was a hit, and was a very comforting lunch on a rainy day. I should really get more creative with risotto though, as I've seen recipes using wild rice, brown rice & all sorts of wonderful grains! 

Do you like making risotto? 

Hannah x