Morel Mushroom Risotto

A good home made Risotto is such a warm and comforting meal. Hearty, and packed full of flavor, they’re a versatile meal that is loves worldwide. The simplicity of making a homemade Risotto can be deceiving, as there are a few techniques required to make a Risotto that is truly special. In this recipe we’ll show you how to make an amazing Morel Mushroom Risotto that is packed full of rich Mushroom flavor. It’s a true showcase of the versatility and flavors of Morel Mushrooms, and well worth trying yourself

Morel Mushrooms taste so good!

Morel Mushrooms are a popular Mushroom for ‘cheffy’ types, and you’ll notice them pop up in all sorts of wonderful recipes at restaurants. They are, perhaps, a little less commonly used in home cooking due to their scarcity. They are often only found dried, which is a great way to preserve their longevity. The good news is this recipe we require dried Morel Mushrooms, which can be readily found in grocery stores all over the world

The flavors of a Morel Mushroom are great. They have a rich, earthy flavor that is typical of a forest Mushroom. They also have a nutty taste to them, like Chanterelle Mushrooms. Their unique shape and texture make them a great choice for using in cooking, and they are particularly tasty in Mushroom Risottos recipes like this one

The secret to a great Mushroom Risotto is using Mushroom Broth

You want to capture as much Mushroom flavor as possible in this dish, so infusing the broth that cooks down into the Rice with Mushroom flavor is key to achieving this. So many Risotto dishes use generic Vegetable Stock or even suggest Chicken Stock as the liquid. Some even suggest Water! (which you absolutely shouldn’t use unless you want a bland Risotto) Instead, creating your own simple Mushroom Broth is the secret to extracting a rich, Mushroom flavor in the dish

This is the reason why we recommend using dried Mushrooms over fresh ones. Dried Mushrooms need to rehydrate (also known as reconstitute) to be used in cooking. They are rehydrated by letting them sit / steep in boiling water for about 20 minutes. What happens during this 20 minutes is not only do the Mushrooms become plump and rehydrated, but the liquid becomes richly infused with a deep Mushroom flavor

This liquid can then be used as your broth for cooking the Risotto. No need to spend hours making an epic Chicken Stock, and no need to spend more money on additional Vegetables to make a Veggie Stock. Simply steep those dried Mushrooms in hot water and you’ve got an instant Mushroom Broth ready to go!

We’ve got a great recipe for Mushroom Broth here for you to check out. We also outline the steps in the recipe below on how to do it! It is a critical part of our Morel Mushroom Risotto Recipe, and will be the difference between making a good Risotto and a great Risotto

Once the Mushroom Broth is ready, it’s time to make this tasty Morel Mushroom Risotto

Making Risotto requires a lot of attention. You need to constantly be stirring the pan as you slowly cook the Rice by adding more liquid to it. It’s not one of those ‘set and forget’ type dishes. Your effort, however, will be rewarded with a flavorful, creamy, and beautiful Risotto. So, it’s well worth it

We kick things off by melting a load of Butter in a pan then cooking down the Mushrooms and Onions in it. Once the Mushrooms have started to caramelize it’s time to add the Garlic and Rice. You want the Rice to get a nice coating of the Butter from the pan, and allow it to toast for a few minutes

Then, deglaze the whole pan with about 1 cup of White Wine. This step is important as it not only introduced acid to the dish, but the Wine will help remove all the Mushroomy bits from the pan and reincorporate them into the dish

Allow the Wine to cook down for a few minutes to remove it’s alcohol and begin to absorb into the Rice. Once you’re at this point it’s time to start the labor intensive process of adding Mushroom Broth to the dish

Add 1 cup of Broth at a time to the dish

Unfortunately, you can’t just dump the entire load of Broth to the dish at once and hope for the best. No, the Rice needs to slowly absorb a small amount of broth at a time to ensure you achieve that wonderful creamy texture Risottos are famous for

You want to have your Mushroom Broth heating over the stovetop in a separate pot over low heat. Not enough for it to be simmering, but just enough to be warmed through. This will make the absorption process into the Rice quicker

Ladle in about 1 cup of Broth into the Pan with the Rice and stir continuously. Slowly, the Rice will begin to absorb all that Broth. Each cup will take a couple of minutes to absorb, so you’ll need to take your time and slowly add an additional cup once the last cup has absorbed

Now, the exact quantity of broth to use always seems to differ. There’s isn’t ever an ‘exact’ amount to add, just keep adding the broth and allowing it to absorb until the Rice is cooked (taste as you go), and the Risotto has a luscious, creamy texture. If you run out of broth you can always use Water, but hopefully with the 8 cups of Mushroom Broth you’ll have more than enough

Finishing the Risotto once it’s the perfect consistency

Once your Morel Mushroom Risotto is done, remove it from the heat and finish it with a squeeze of Lemon Juice and some freshly chopped Parsley. These ingredients add some much needed brightness and vibrancy to the Risotto, which makes a lot of difference to the flavor

The final ingredient is a classic addition to Risotto – Parmesan Cheese! You simply cannot have Risotto without some freshly grated Parmesan Cheese. Grate a generous amount into the Risotto and stir through. Give it a taste for seasoning and it’s ready to eat!

Morel Mushroom Recipe

Ingredients

• 50g dried Morel Mushrooms
• 40g Unsalted Butter
• 1 Yellow Onion, finely diced
• 2 cups of Fresh Mushrooms (Button, Cremini, or Portobello), roughly chopped
• 4 Garlic Cloves, finely diced
• 1 ½ cups Arborio Rice
• 1 cup White Wine
• ½ cup Fresh Parsley, roughly chopped
• Juice of ½ a Lemon
• ½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese
• Salt and Pepper
  
  

Instructions

1. Make the Mushroom Broth by placing the Dried Mushrooms in a large saucepan or bowl filled with boiling water. We recommend using about 8 cups of Water to ensure you have enough Broth for the Risotto
2. Allow the Mushrooms to sit in the hot water for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 20 minutes, strain the Mushrooms and retain the liquid in a saucepan
3. Chop the rehydrated and fresh Mushrooms into bite-sized chunks and set aside
4. Melt the Butter in a large pan over medium heat then add the Onions and Mushrooms. Season with Salt and Pepper. Mix well and cook until the Mushrooms begin to caramelize (about 8 minutes) then add the Garlic and Rice
5. Continue cooking for 2 minutes while constantly stirring and then add the White Wine to deglaze the pan. Cook for a further 2 minutes then add 1 cup of Mushroom Broth to the pan
6. Stir until the broth has almost completely dissolved then add another cup. Continue this process until the Rice is completely cooked and the Risotto has a loose, slightly liquidy consistency (this process should take about 30 minutes)
7. Remove from heat and mix through the Parmesan Cheese, Lemon Juice and Parsley. Taste for seasoning then serve
   
   

Recipe Notes

• You can use other types of Dried Mushrooms for this recipe such as Porcini and Chanterelle
• Try reserving a few Mushrooms and pan fry them whole to use as a nice garnish for the final plate
  
  

That’s our delicious recipe for some amazing homemade Morel Mushroom Risotto. The rich, Mushroom flavor from the Mushroom Broth is what makes this dish truly special. Morels are a great choice to use, as they add a beautiful earthy and nutty flavor to the dish

For more tasty and hearty meals such as this one, check out these tasty recipes:

• Braised Oxtail with Red Wine
• One Pan Crispy Chicken with Creamy Sauce
• Creamy Sausage Rigatoni
• Green Chicken Enchiladas
  
  

Happy Cooking!