Risotto with marsala glazed exotic mushrooms

For the pangrattato

Place the ciabatta, chorizo, olive oil, salt and pepper in a food processor. Pulse briefly to break down the ciabatta and chorizo. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a pan and add the crumb mixture.Toast over a medium heat, stirring regularly, until the crumbs and chorizo are crisp and a dark brown colour. Spread onto kitchen paper to drain any excess oil. Set aside to cool.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan and only when the pan is really hot, add mushrooms. Fry for about 3-4 minutes on a high heat. Add the thyme, season lightly and deglaze the pan with the Marsala wine and a squeeze of lemon. Reduce the wine down completely. The mushrooms should be glossy but with no excess liquid. Set aside and keep warm while you make the risotto.

To make the risotto

Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan. Allow it to bubble and foam until it starts turning a deep, nut brown. This should take about 5-6 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the butter, then add in the chopped shallot. Turn the heat down and sauté over a medium heat until the shallots are soft and translucent. Add the the lemon zest and arborio rice to the shallots and stir through to coat in the buttery oil. Once the rice is hot, deglaze with the wine and reduce down by half.

Place the chicken stock in a small saucepan on the hob to keep it hot. Slowly start adding the stock to the rice, one ladle at a time, stirring all the while. Once the stock is absorbed into the rice, add another ladle of hot stock and continue to stir. This process should take about 22-25 minutes, at which point the rice should be tender. You may not have to use all the stock, but do ensure that the risotto has sufficient liquid to keep it loose and moist. Whisk in the Parmesan. Check the seasoning only after adding the parmesan as the cheese itself is quite salty. Remove from the heat, cover with a lid and rest for a minute or two.

To serve

Ladle into warm bowls, spoon over the Marsala mushrooms, scatter with pangrattato crumbs and pine nuts. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan on the side.

Note:

Risotto should be loose, which means, if your spoon can stand upright, you’ve gone way left. Depending on the heat at which you cook the risotto, you might need to add a little extra water at the end. Do not add more stock as this would over salt the dish.

Recipe reprinted with permission of Bibby’s Kitchen@36. To see more recipes, please click here.

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