Mushroom Risotto with Jasmine Rice

Mushroom risotto with jasmine rice: a fusion of Italian cooking techniques and Asian kitchen staples.

Risotto is a traditional northern Italian dish where the rice is toasted in a bit of butter or olive oil, then alternate ladles of broth and wine are added. It takes upwards of half an hour as the rice must be stirred between each layer so that it absorbs the liquids. Typically, medium grain varieties such as arborio, carnaroli or vialone nano rice are used because of their high starch content.

When I first tried making risotto, I only had long grain jasmine rice on hand. I've tried making risotto with arborio rice, and actually preferred jasmine rice. And since I always have jasmine rice in stock, naturally my risotto became a fusion of Asian and Italian cuisines. The trick is not to rinse the jasmine rice beforehand so that it retains the starch content, and not to rush the alternate ladles of broth and wine as the rice absorbs the liquid slowly.

Risotto is also a good way to use up leftover wine or bad clearance wine in a box.


Mushroom Risotto with Jasmine Rice

1 onion, diced
2 cups jasmine rice, or any other variety of your choosing
8-oz package mushrooms, washed and sliced
chicken or vegetable broth
white wine, any variety except sweet dessert wines

To taste:
butter
parmesan cheese
parsley
salt
pepper



Saute onions in olive oil until softened and translucent.

Add dry rice until lightly toasted.

Add sliced mushrooms and saute until softened. You don't want to saute the mushrooms first because the moisture will create too much liquid and the rice won't get toasted.

When the mushrooms have softened, add just enough chicken broth until the rice is covered. Stir. You can stir continuously but I've found sporadic stirring is just fine. When the liquid has absorbed, add a second ladle of chicken broth. I prefer to do two ladles of chicken broth to start with so the rice can absorb that first and be extra-infused.

When the liquid has been absorbed, add just enough white wine to cover the rice. Alternate chicken broth and white wine until rice is cooked.

The starches in the rice will slowly start turning creamy. This process takes at least half an hour or more so be patient.

When the rice is done, add butter, parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, and freshly cracked pepper.