Szechuan Shiitake Risotto Food

SZECHUAN SHIITAKE RISOTTO

Steps:

• Heat peppercorns in medium saucepan over high heat 1 minute. Add broth and mushrooms and bring to boil. Cover, remove from heat and steep 30 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to bowl. Strain broth. Thinly slice mushrooms.
• Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and shallots; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in rice. Mix in wine and soy sauce and bring to boil. Add all but 1/2 cup broth. Simmer uncovered 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Continue cooking until rice is tender and mixture is creamy, adding remaining 1/2 cup broth if necessary to make creamy, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes longer. Season with salt and serve.

ASPARAGUS RISOTTO WITH SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Pour the stock into a saucepan, place over high heat, and bring to a boil.
• Meanwhile, snap off the ends from the asparagus and peel any tough skin from the stalks.
• Add the asparagus ends to the stock, reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently until the stems are tender, about 7 minutes.
• Dip out and discard the stems.
• Slice the spears 1/4 inch thick on the diagonal.
• Set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat until hot.
• Scatter in the mushrooms and do not move them until they begin to brown, about 1 minute.
• Then season with salt and pepper, and sauté until brown, about 5 minutes.
• Remove to a plate.
• Lower the heat to medium, add the onion, season lightly with salt, and cook until soft but not brown, about 2 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook briefly.
• Add the rice and stir until the grains look pearly white, about 2 minutes.
• Add the wine, if using, and cook until the pan is nearly dry.
• Adjust the heat so the rice cooks at a slow simmer.
• Add 1/2 cup of the stock, stir, and cook until the pan is nearly dry again.
• Season lightly with salt and pepper now so the flavor permeates the rice.
• Add another 1/2 cup of the stock and continue to stir and cook, adding stock as necessary, until the rice is three-fourths cooked, about 15 minutes.
• Stir in the thyme, mushrooms, and sliced asparagus tips.
• Continue to cook until the rice is al dente and the asparagus is bright green and just tender, about 4 minutes longer.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, Fontina cheese, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the parsley and the lemon zest, if using.
• Taste for seasoning.
• Dust with Parmesan before serving.
• Pass more cheese at the table.

SHIITAKE & THYME MUSHROOM RISOTTO

Steps:

• Firstly, rehydrate the shiitake mushrooms in 300ml of boiling water and leave to sit for 40 minutes. In the meantime you can prep the other ingredients. Once the mushrooms have softened, remove from the water (do not discard the stock) and squeeze out any excess liquid, pat dry with a paper towel and rough chop.
• Heat a few glugs of olive oil in a large heavy based pan on a medium to high heat, once hot, add the shiitake mushrooms along with a pinch of red pepper flakes. Fry for 5-8 minutes or until golden and add the chopped garlic for the final minute. Transfer the mushrooms to a dish as these will be added to the risotto later.
• Using the same pan fry off your onion with a knob of butter, add salt, a generous pinch of coarse black pepper and a quarter teaspoon of the wild porcini powder. Stir until the onion is softened then tip in the risotto rice along with the glass of wine. Turn up the heat and let the liquid reduce down until absorbed then holding a sieve over your pan pour in the reserved mushroom stock. This will catch any sediment that has fallen to the bottom of of your jug.
• Add a few sprigs of dried thyme, dried thyme is more powerful in flavour so add a little and taste as you go. Adjust the heat to medium and let the stock cook down till mostly absorbed, keep stirring the rice so it remains loose and creamy. Now add the chicken stock bit by bit, add approximately half a cup or so at a time and again cook through until mostly absorbed stirring all the while. Repeat this process until the risotto rice is cooked through but still retains a bite, you may not need all of the chicken stock.
• Towards the end of cooking return the shiitake mushrooms to the pan and fold through until warm. Turn off the heat and add 50g of grated mature cheddar and a swirl of truffle oil, mixing until the cheese is melted. This is now ready to serve.