Mushroom Sage Risotto
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What does this food offer in terms of nutrients and physical nourishment?
Protein (some from mushrooms, milk, cheese)
Carbohydrates (mushrooms, rice, milk)
Fat (butter/oil, milk, cheese)
Fiber (mushrooms, rice)
Other (mushrooms are a great source of vitamin D and trace minerals)
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What does this food offer in terms of mental satisfaction through flavor, texture, and experience?
Chewy
Tender
Chunky
Creamy
Herby
Earthy
Savory/umami
Warm/cozy
Rich
Okay, I know what you’re thinking… I do not have the time to sit and make a risotto from scratch! And trust me, I feel you, risotto is definitely a labor of love. But while we’re all sitting at home in “Quarantine 2: Winter Edition” and longing for those warm, comforting meals, when is there a better time to make risotto???
This vegetarian risotto is hearty and savory thanks to the addition of mushrooms that provide a meatiness as well as rich umami (savory) flavor. Umami is one of the five basic tastes — sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami — and represents the savory flavor that glutamates provide in foods. Glutamates are a naturally occurring chemical compound found in cooked meats, broths, cheese, fermented and aged foods like soy sauce, and of course, mushrooms. Glutamates are also added into foods during processing to add richness to foods.
A type of glutamate, monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is a well known food additive that often vilified by the media as being harmful or unsafe. MSG is best known for it’s common use in Chinese-American restaurants and the general fear of MSG is exclusively centered around eating in such establishments. However, MSG is also naturally occurring in relatively high amounts in some foods like seaweed, soy sauce, and tomatoes. It’s also added to canned soups, canned veggies, and processed meats. We don’t see widespread avoidance and vilification of those types of foods and there is little evidence to support MSG intolerance. It’s more likely that any discomfort associated with MSG intolerance — headaches, flush, hives, swelling, sweating — are caused by eating foods outside of the normal diet. These could also be caused by the high levels of sodium restaurants in general use. So it makes you wonder if an MSG sensitivity is a genuine physical reaction, or a symptom of xenophobia and placebo effect from misinformation.
When you try this recipe, you’ll be thanking the glutamate gods because it’s truly one for the books. I’ve made this three times in the past month and every time it’s exactly what I need for dinner on a gloomy fall Pacific Northwest evening. The process, although time consuming, is fairly simple and requires just enough skill to impress your friends without making you pull your hair out.
So throw on some cozy music, grab yourself a glass of wine (or kombucha), and get cooking! You won’t regret it.
Allergens: Soy, dairy (optional)
Servings: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 90 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Ingredients:
3 cups mushroom broth
1 1/2 cups short grain white rice or Arborio rice
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 large package or 4-8 oz (depending on type) of fresh mushrooms of choice (my favorites are shiitake, button, chanterelle, cremini, or a medley)
1/4 cup milk of choice (I prefer using half and half for extra creaminess, but any 2% or higher fat dairy milk or a neutral flavored nut milk would work too)
3 cloves garlic, minced or 1 1/2 tsp jarred minced garlic or 3/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
6 large fresh sage leaves, chiffonade
Tip: To chiffonade herbs, stack leaves and tightly roll them together lengthwise. It should resemble a joint or cigarette (this is obviously a very technical description). Take a knife and chop the herbs into thin shreds. Here is a youtube video to see how it’s done! If you’d rather not flex your culinary muscles, you can just roughly chop the sage for the same effect.
1 tbsp ghee or olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste (If adding parmesan, keep in mind when using salt that the cheese will add saltiness when added later)
Optional:
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded (plus a pinch for topping)
Directions:
In a large (3 quart) sauté pan, heat oil or ghee over medium-low heat.
Add onions, and season with salt and pepper. Allow onions to sweat until translucent.
Add in garlic and sage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions and garlic begin to brown.
Add rice. Mix until rice appears well coated with the oil and liquids. Toast for 5 minutes. This brings out the nutty flavor in the rice.
Here comes the slightly tedious (but well worth it) part! Reduce heat to simmer and begin adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time. After each addition, stir to ensure the broth is evenly distributed in the pan and cover with lid. Before adding the next half cup, make sure the broth is fully absorbed.
While adding your last 1/2 cup of broth, add mushrooms. Cook until remaining broth is absorbed and until mushrooms are tender.
When all broth is absorbed and rice is puffy and tender, add in milk and cheese. Stir to evenly distribute. Leave cover off and allow to simmer until milk is absorbed and the risotto is nice and creamy.
Remove from heat and let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving to reach full richness.
Top with addition cheese, if desired, and serve hot. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week (if they last that long!).
