Vegetarian Wild Mushroom Risotto

  “Rice, say the Italians, is born in water and dies in wine,” writes author Margaret Visser in her book Much Depends on Dinner.

Would that we could all be so lucky?

Hmm…that makes me sound a bit like an alcoholic, when I really just meant that I like swimming…

Point being, this is an awesome risotto recipe, whether you’re vegetarian or not. The trick is to use really big, chewy, tender mushrooms (my preference goes to oyster mushrooms, which are also miraculously low FODMAP). I wasn’t sure if the dried black trumpet mushrooms I added for extra flavour were FODMAP friendly, but I knew shiitakes weren’t, and those were my only two choices.*

The other trick is not a trick; it’s a risotto rule: stand above the hot stove (plan it for a cool evening) and stir this slowly while sipping some of the same wine you used to deglaze the rice grains. Preferably in good company.

Oh, and one final trick: cook the oyster mushrooms separately and then add them back in at the end to avoid overcooking. I write 200 g since size varies so much between mushrooms, but a few handfuls per person will do. I went with three large oyster mushrooms per person. Oyster mushrooms are usually the cheapest of the wild mushrooms I’ve seen in Montreal.

Vegetarian Wild Mushroom Risotto (Dairy Free)

25 g dried black trumpet mushrooms (or shiitake, porcini or other dried mushrooms)
1/2 cup hot water
1 shallot or small red onion, peeled and finely chopped, optional (not FODMAP)
2 tbsp olive oil or dairy-free butter, divided (or use a combination of both)
1 1/2 cups risotto rice (e.g. Arborio, Carnaroli)
salt and pepper
3 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
1-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped, depending on amount of fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup white wine
2 tsp fresh chives
2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley

Soak the dried 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 if large. Back trumpet don’t need to be chopped.

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. If using a commercial stock with a fair amount of sodium, just add pepper.

In a heavy bottomed skillet, sweat the shallot in 1 1/2 tbsp of 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 black trumpet 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).

Meanwhile, sauté the wild mushrooms in the remaining 1/2 tbsp olive oil in batches in a large skillet. Add the garlic and continue sautéing for another 2 minutes for each batch. When all the mushrooms are sautéed, add half of them to the rice along with the chives and parsley. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Either top the skillet with the remaining sautéed mushrooms and bring the skillet directly to the table to serve, or ladle out the risotto between individual bowls and top with the remaining mushrooms.

*I don’t think black trumpets are FODMAP friendly, in retrospect…