New Year Risotto with Leeks, Mushrooms and Truffle

One of my favourite holiday gifts that I received was a big black truffle that I’ve been slowly shaving off into deliciously indulgent dishes ever since. I love a good risotto (some of my favourites are here and here) and so I was looking for a dish with some new flavours to enjoy with some fresh truffle for a special New Year treat. This one definitely did the trick.

Leek and Mushroom Risotto with Truffle

2 large leeks, thinly sliced crosswise (white and light green parts only)
3/4 cup whipping cream
1 lb. shitake (or mixed) mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon white truffle oil
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
5 cups vegetable broth, heated
freshly shaved truffle and parmigiano reggiano to garnish

Bring cleaned and sliced leeks and cream to a boil in a small pot. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook and stir until leeks are soft and the mixture is thick. Season well with salt and pepper and set aside.

Toss sliced mushrooms on a baking sheet with sliced onion, truffle oil, 1/2 cup melted butter, thyme leaves, salt and pepper. Bake at 400°F for 40 minutes until mushrooms are tender.

Heat broth in a medium pot and continue to simmer. In a separate pot, melt two tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until soft, about five minutes. Add rice and stir for one minute before adding wine. Stir until wine is absorbed then add one cup of broth. Continue to stir until absorbed. Add all broth one cup at a time, stirring and waiting for each cup to absorb before adding more. When risotto is thick and creamy, add in mushroom and leek mixtures. Garnish with shaved parmigiano reggiano and fresh truffle and serve.

Adapted from Epicurious.com

Spanish Rice with Lobster and Shrimp

I think of this flavourful dish as kind of hybrid between risotto and paella. The salmoretta sauce that you serve overtop has a lovely, light flavour that could easily be re-purposed alongside other fish or chicken dishes to give them a little extra kick.

While the lobster and shrimp are obviously an indulgent accompaniment to the rice here, the recipe would also work very nicely done with chunks of sauted chicken and/or chorizo instead.

Spanish Rice with Lobster and Shrimp
(serves 2-4)

1/2 tsp. saffron
1/3 cup boiling water
2 medium tomatoes, halved
1/2 Vidalia onion, peeled, cut into wedges
1/2 long red chili
6 tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 tbsp. sherry vinegar
1 tbsp. chopped parsley
1 tbsp. chopped cilantro
1/4 cup diced shallots
225g shimeji mushrooms
4 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 cup Albufera or Arborio rice
2 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. garlic, chopped
250g lobster, shell(s) removed
1 cup shrimp, shells removed

Steep the saffron in boiling water for 20 minutes. Strain and discard the saffron. Make a salmorreta sauce by placing the tomatoes (cut side up), onion wedges and chili on a baking sheet and brush with one tablespoon of olive oil. Place under a pre-heated broiler until brown and blistered, about three minutes.

Skin and seed the tomato and chili and add to a food processor with the vinegar, parsley and cilantro. Turn it on and add about four tablespoons of olive oil slowly, until it’s incorporated. Season with salt as needed.

Heat another tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add shallots and mushrooms and saute until softened, about three minutes. Add 3 1/2 cups of stock and the saffron water and bring to a boil. Add in the rice, season with salt and bring to a simmer. Continue to cook, adding in the remaining stock, until rice is cooked through but still slightly firm, about fifteen minutes.

Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add in garlic and cook for one minute. Add in shelled lobster and shrimp and saute until pink and cooked through, about three minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove seafood, then add garlic butter to the rice.

Serve rice in individual dishes, top each with salmorreta sauce, lobster and shrimp, and a few cilantro leaves. Enjoy!

Recipe from Lucy Waverman for The Globe and Mail.

Mushroom Risotto

I love a good risotto to eat and to entertain with, as it is a fairly straight-forward dish to make and can be easily switched up to include a variety of flavours and ingredients. I was in need of a vegetarian dish one night, and while I was worried it would fall a little flat as a main course in the absence of meat or seafood, I was really happy with how filling and flavourful it turned out.

Mushroom Risotto
(serves 4)

coconut oil (or butter or olive oil)
4 large handfuls of mixed mushrooms ( I used oyster, shiitake and dried porcini)
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
3/4 cup shallots, finely diced
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine or light sherry
Parmigiano Reggiano
fresh oregano
salt and pepper

If using dried mushrooms, place in a bowl and cover with stock for about half an hour until soft. Dice mushrooms as necessary so they’re fairly uniform in size. Heat oil in a pan and cook mushrooms in small batches until soft and brown. Season with salt and pepper.

Place stock in a large pot (include the liquid from the dried mushrooms, if using) and keep warm over low heat. Heat oil in another large pot over medium heat and add shallots. Season with salt and cook until soft. Add rice and stir for a few minutes. Add wine and stir until absorbed. Add warm stock about 3/4 cup at a time, letting the liquid absorb after each addition and stirring as you go. Once rice begins to soften and become creamy, add mushrooms back into the pot. Continue adding stock and letting it absorb until you reach your desired consistency. Taste and season for salt and pepper. Serve warm with fresh oregano and shredded Parmigiano.

Butternut Squash Risotto

This squash risotto has a great neutral flavour that’s not too sweet and can easily be eaten as a main or side dish (I served it alongside filet mignon). You can also change the feel of the dish quite easily depending on the herbs and spices you use to season it.

Butternut Squash Risotto
(serves 4 as a sidedish, double the recipe if serving as a main)

3 cups butternut squash, cut into small cubes
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 cup water
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon 5 spice
Parmigiano Reggiano

Pour stock and water into a small sauce pan and warm over medium heat. Melt a tablespoon of butter (or coconut oil) in a large pot over medium-high heat and add squash. Season well with salt and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes until edges start to soften. Add rice and wine. Stir until the wine is absorbed. Add in two bay leaves.
Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the heated stock about a half cup at a time, stirring after each addition until the liquid is absorbed. Once all of the stock has been added and the risotto is creamy, remove the bay leaves and mix in 5 spice. Once plated, season with extra salt and pepper and top with shredded parmigiano. Enjoy!