Chestnut Mushroom Risotto with Thyme and Parmesan
Chestnut mushrooms have a deeper, nuttier flavor than common cremini and they hold their texture beautifully in a long-simmered risotto. This is comfort food with restaurant polish — an Arborio risotto laced with hard-seared mushrooms, white wine and fresh thyme, finished with a luxurious swirl of butter and Parmesan.
Ingredients
Risotto Base
- 5 cups vegetable or chicken stock warm
- 12 oz chestnut mushrooms from KC Mushroom Co., sliced
- 3 tbsp olive oil divided
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter divided
- 1 small yellow onion finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves plus more for garnish
- 3/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano finely grated
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
To Finish
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- extra Parmigiano-Reggiano for serving
Instructions
- Pour the stock into a saucepan and keep it at a bare simmer on a back burner — you want it hot the entire time so it doesn’t shock the rice.
- In a wide heavy-bottomed pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high. Add the sliced chestnut mushrooms in a single layer and leave them undisturbed for 4 minutes. Stir, then continue cooking another 4 to 5 minutes until they’re deeply golden and have given up all their moisture. Season with salt, transfer to a plate, and set aside.
- In the same pan, lower the heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the diced onion with a pinch of salt and cook 5 to 6 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
- Tip in the Arborio rice and stir for 1 to 2 minutes, coating each grain with the fat. The rice should look slightly translucent at the edges.
- Pour in the white wine and stir constantly until almost fully absorbed.
- Now begin adding stock one ladle at a time. Stir frequently and let each addition absorb before adding the next. This is meditative work — expect 18 to 22 minutes of patient stirring. The risotto is done when the rice is al dente, with a slight bite at the center, and the texture is glossy and loose.
- About two-thirds of the way through, around the 12-minute mark, stir in three-quarters of the seared mushrooms and the thyme. Reserve the rest for garnish.
- Off the heat, beat in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the Parmesan until the risotto is creamy and luxurious. If it tightens up, loosen with another splash of stock. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately in warmed bowls, topped with the reserved mushrooms, a sprinkle of fresh thyme and parsley, and extra Parmesan at the table.
Notes
From the farm: Chestnut mushrooms have a slightly drier, denser texture than oysters, which makes them ideal for risotto — they hold their shape rather than melting away into the rice.
Make ahead: Risotto really is best served the moment it’s finished. If you must make ahead, undercook by 2 minutes, spread on a sheet pan to cool, and finish with hot stock just before serving.
Variation: A handful of dried porcini mushrooms, rehydrated in the warm stock, takes this into special-occasion territory. Strain the soaking liquid through a coffee filter and use it as part of the stock.