with Oyster Mushrooms, Chanterelles, Truffle Butter and Glazed Carrots

Recipe by Chef Patrick McKee
www.Estespdx.com

(serves 3-4)

 2c Aquerello or Carnaroli rice

7c vegetable stock, heated to a boil

1 small yellow onion, small dice

3T extra virgin olive oil

3c dry white wine

1 c sautéed mushrooms (chanterelle, maitake, oyster & king oyster)

½ c baby carrots, peeled and cut into diagonal shapes

1T unsalted butter

1tsp sugar

1c water

2T chopped fresh thyme and/or savory

Salt and pepper

1 lemon cut in half for juice

2T truffle butter

Aged balsamic (optional, but tasty!)

Over medium heat, add 2T extra virgin olive oil in a heavy bottom saucepan or small braising pan, and add onion. Add salt and a few cracks of fresh black pepper and sweat onion until translucent. Add rice and stir and toast for a few minutes, then add stock to cover. At this point, you will add stock ladle by ladle once it is absorbed by the rice, stirring to make sure the rice does not stick to the bottom of the pan.

As the rice is cooking, saute your mushroom selection with 1T of the extra virgin olive oil. Salt and check for seasoning, and add 1 teaspoon of chopped thyme as the mushrooms finish cooking. Lay out on a tray and reserve to add to the risotto. For the king oyster mushrooms, cut in half lengthwise and score the cut side in a cross-hatch pattern. Cook cut side down in a pan with a bit of oil until lightly brown, then turn over and do the same to the other side.

In a small saute pan, add carrots with enough water to come up about halfway covering the carrots, and add 1T butter, salt, and sugar. Cook over medium-high heat until the liquid dissolves and the carrots are cooked but are al dente. Add more sugar if necessary – the carrots are glazed and should be salty and sugary. Set aside and reserve to add to the risotto.

As the rice cooks, it will release its starch and become thicker and create a creamy sauce consistency but will take 20 minutes or so. As the rice becomes more tender (at Estes, we do serve risotto a bit al dente) but not soggy, and the stock reduces to nearly gone, stir in the mushrooms and carrots. Place the king oyster mushroom slices in a small separate pan over low heat and turn often, heating all sides. This will garnish your risotto when finished. While stirring, add 2T truffle butter and 1T regular unsalted butter and a generous shaving of Grana Padano and quickly stir in. I like to vigorously stir at this point to allow more of the starch to come out of the rice and give the risotto the finishing consistency we look for – creamy, but not too loose, but not a clump of sticky rice on a plate. Add fresh thyme and a squeeze of fresh lemon and taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Portion onto plates, grating more cheese on top. Add the hot mushroom slices and more cheese. Add a drizzle of aged balsamic over each plate of risotto, and enjoy!