Back in February I did a television segment for Global Montreal and was given a bag of dried crab mushrooms from the North Shore (the Côte Nord) of Quebec to present on the show. They’re very similar to lobster mushrooms in look, so I figured they’d be good in risotto.
To keep it vegetarian and add protein, I tossed in some chickpeas and to add a bit of colour contrast, some green peas.
You can make this with other wild mushrooms (whatever you can afford; lobster mushrooms are pricey!)
Crab Mushroom Risotto with Chickpeas and Green Peas (Dairy Free)
25 g dried Côte-Nord crab mushrooms
1 cup hot water
1 shallot or small red onion, peeled and finely chopped, optional (not FODMAP)
1 tbsp olive oil or dairy-free butter
1 1/2 cups risotto rice (e.g. Arborio, Carnaroli)
salt and pepper
5-6 cups vegetable stock
200 g fresh oyster mushrooms or other wild mushrooms (porcini, portobello, chanterelles, king oyster, maitake, matsutake, etc.), or a handful or two per person
1 can organic chickpeas, drained and rinsed, or 2 cups freshly cooked
1 cup green peas, frozen or fresh
1/2 cup white wine
2 tsp fresh chives or green onion
2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
Soak the dried crab mushrooms in a heat-proof bowl with the hot water (cover the bowl to retain the heat) for 30 minutes. Drain and reserve the liquid, then chop the mushrooms into bite-size pieces if desired.
Combine the mushroom soaking liquid and the vegetable stock in a medium saucepan and heat it to just below a simmer. If using a homemade stock with no salt added, add some salt and pepper to taste (it should taste just mildly salty since much of the liquid will evaporate). If using a commercial stock with a fair amount of sodium, just add pepper.
In a heavy bottomed skillet, sweat the shallot in the olive oil over medium-low heat for about 3-4 minutes, until the shallot is soft. Add the rice and stir to coat for 1-2 minutes. Add the wine and drained crab mushrooms. Stir for 30 seconds.
Add two ladlefuls of warm stock to the rice and stir until absorbed. Then add a ladleful at a time until the rice is al dente, or still just a tiny bit firm (about 20 minutes).
Just before the rice is al dente (taste it, for goodness sake), add the chickpeas and green peas and cook until the green peas are tender (just a minute for fresh, 3-5 minutes for frozen). Stir in the chives and parsley. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
Bring the skillet directly to the table to serve, or ladle out the risotto between individual bowls.
Leave a Reply