Michael Van De Elzen’s Cheesy, Garlicky Mushroom Risotto Recipe

By Michael Van De Elzen

Sunday Sep. 17, 2023

Viva

Arborio rice, fermented black garlic and mushrooms meet in this satisfying meal. Photo / Babiche Martens

Being a chef, the question I get asked the most is, ‘What’s your favourite meal?’. It’s a hard question to answer, but this risotto must be close to the top of the list. Cooked to al dente perfection and boosted with roasted mushrooms and salty nuggets of parmesan, it’s pretty tasty indeed. Fermented black garlic is available from most specialty food stores.

MUSHROOM RISOTTO WITH ROCKET RECIPE

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

Serves: 6

6–8 large flat mushrooms

1 large onion

4 cloves garlic

2 Tbsp grapeseed oil, plus extra for drizzling

Flaky sea salt, to taste

3 cups arborio rice

½ cup white wine

2 cups finely grated parmesan

2 Tbsp fermented black garlic (optional)

150g butter, cubed

Cracked pepper, to taste

Fresh parsley, to garnish

Mushroom Stock

1.75 litres water

2 vegetable stock cubes

2 bay leaves

Preheat your oven to 180C fan-bake.
Start by peeling off the fine skin from the top of the mushrooms and removing the stalks, reserving the trimmings and stalks for the stock. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic, reserving the trimmings for the stock.
Place the mushrooms fins-up in a roasting tray, drizzle with oil and season with salt. Roast for 15 minutes then roughly chop. Set aside.
While the mushrooms are cooking, make the mushroom stock by placing the vegetable trimmings in a large pot with the water, stock cubes and bay leaves. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Strain before use. You should have about 2 litres.
To cook the risotto, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frypan over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until translucent. Add the rice, increase the heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 3-4 minutes to toast off the rice. Add the wine and stir for another minute until well absorbed.
Gradually stir in the mushroom stock, allowing the rice to absorb it between each addition. Add the chopped mushrooms. Taste the rice, and continue to add stock until it’s cooked just al dente.
Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan and fermented black garlic (if using), then the butter. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Serve garnished with parsley.