Risotto is something that a lot of people has some trepidation with, and I totally understand that. For rice, it’s very labor intensive and it takes quite a bit of time, attention, and focus. The outcome, however, when done right, is simply amazing. Rich, creamy, toothsome, cheesy, and full of whatever flavors you want to put in it. For this recipe I chose to go fairly classic but elevate it with a few ingredients and techniques.
Basic risotto is made with chicken stock. Take it one more step by substituting some of the chicken stock with white wine or lemon juice, the acidity from either of those helps cut through the richness and creaminess of the Arborio rice. Don’t get me wrong, that richness and creaminess is a good thing … the acidity adds yet another layer of flavor on top of the earthiness the other ingredients bring to the table. To take it one step further, head straight on over to champagne or prosecco instead of white wine or fresh lemon juice. You get the acidity and something more, all the flavors that were put into that bottle of bubbly goodness. It’s truly special; this coming from someone who is a self-tagged Bubble Queen. I. LOVE. MY. BUBBLES. I encourage to make this, you won’t be sorry. We paired it with grilled boneless/skinless chicken breast that I brined for 6-8 hours and then applied a dry rub, and a delicious mixed green salad with homemade lemon vinaigrette. Enjoy!
- 3 tbsp butter, divided
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, small chop
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 1 ½ cups Champagne, or white wine, divided … substitute chicken broth if avoiding alcohol
- 2-3 cups chicken stock
- ¼ cup good quality fresh grated Parmesan
- Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
- In a medium pot, over medium high heat, add 2 tbsp butter and olive oil, when hot add onion, and a pinch of salt, cook until soft, about 10-12 minutes.
- Add mushrooms, cook until soft, 5-7 minutes, stirring often.
- Add Arborio rice, cook for 3 minutes, stirring often to keep from sticking.
- Add 1 cup Champagne or white wine, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until liquid has almost completely reduced.
- Continue cooking the rice, adding the chicken broth ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 30 minutes total depending on how hard of a simmer you run.
- Remove from the heat. Gently stir in remaining butter, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Serve hot.