MULTI MUSHROOM RISOTTO WITH GOAT CHEESE

Yes, there are three photos instead of one. But I also wanted to share with you what I served with my Multi Mushroom Risotto with Goat Cheese the other night, which made the meal perfect, First, baby lamb cutlets (which I have to admit I felt bad about buying, cooking and eating - I mean who doesn't love scampering, fluffy baby lambs 😢. But after coating the whole rack in olive oil, minced rosemary and garlic and leaving it, covered overnight in the fridge, roasting it in the oven on a high temp for 2o minutes, then carving it into individual cutlets and searing them in a hot pan on the cooktop, I kinda forgot about the cute cuddly lambs...) The other photo is a simple arugula (rocket), pomegranate and Parmesan salad which added a light, fresh touch to the otherwise fairly rich but delicious meal. Somehow these three dishes complemented each other perfectly. Now, about the mushrooms, honestly if you live in Europe, USA, Canada or anywhere other than Borneo like I do, and you can get dried Porcini mushrooms, by all means, buy them for an authentic Italian mushroom risotto. But here, in Kuching, Sarawak, I had to make do with dried Chinese mushrooms and fresh white button mushrooms, which, I have to say, while not strictly Italian, didn't detract, Let's put it this way, I guess Marcella Hazan would not approve.🥴 But thankfully, our well travelled, well fed guests did! 😋

Serves 4 as a side dish with leftovers

INGREDIENTS

1 cup (approx 1 ounce) dried Chinese (or Porcini if you can get them) mushrooms

3 or more cups freshly boiled water

3 cups vegetable or chicken stock/broth

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 large or 2 smallish onions, chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 punnet fresh white button mushrooms, peeled and chopped (don't wash)

2 cups Arborio rice, washed and drained

1 1/2 tsp sea salt flakes

a few grinds of black pepper

2 tbsp butter

25g mild goat cheese, crumbled

shaved Parmesan (fresh please, not the stuff in plastic bags) to serve

METHOD

Assemble all your ingredients on the counter top.

Soak the dried mushrooms for half an hour in the hot water and then drain saving the mushroom liquid, pat mushrooms dry and chop.

Combine the stock with the saved mushroom liquid in a medium-sized saucepan and place on a medium heat until it's nicely simmering.

In a wide frying pan, splosh in the olive oil.

When hot, add the butter, chopped onions and garlic until onions are transparent, then add all the mushrooms and the raw, washed rice.

Add the salt and pepper.

Stir this mixture until all the rice is nicely coated in the buttery olive oil and the (fresh) mushrooms have taken on a golden colour.

Add a few ladles of the simmering broth. Stir.

When all the broth has been absorbed, add more, a ladle at a time.

Keep doing this, stirring occasionally, until the rice is cooked through and all the liquid has been absorbed.

Finally, stir in the butter and the crumbled goat cheese and top with shaved Parmesan.

Then sit back and accept all the compliments gracefully...