This mushroom and apple risotto is delicious and combines sweet and savory ingredients, which makes it very appetizing and also different.
Risottos are the typical Italian dish and their most characteristic feature is that they are creamy. To get this creaminess, you only need to use the right rice and cook it in a somewhat peculiar way, as you will see in the step by step of this recipe. The rice recommended to use in this recipe is arborio, which is the best option to cook risotto. Follow this link and discover more about arborio rice: riceselect.com/product/arborio.
It is a simple recipe in which you simply have to keep an eye on the rice so that it is perfectly cooked. For this preparation, also take into account the type of apple, since not all of them will give it the touch it needs. Ambrosia apples are the most recommended because they cook phenomenally well but do not fall apart, and provide a very mild sweet flavor.
Ingredients
- 14 oz of arborio rice.
- 1 Ambrosia apple.
- 7 oz of fresh mushrooms. I used shiitake and mushrooms.
- 1 large onion.
- 1/2 glass of white wine.
- 1.5 liters of chicken broth, vegetable broth or water (with chicken broth the rice will taste better, and with water, the mushrooms will taste better).
- Chicken broth for extra flavor.
- 2 oz of Parmesan or Grana Padano cheese (grated or in block to grate).
- Olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Preparation
- Start by peeling the onion and chopping it finely.
- In a pot, pour a little oil and salt and put it over medium heat. When it is hot, add the onion and cook it for 5 minutes so that it is tender and slightly transparent, stirring it from time to time.
- Cut off the roots and soil from the mushrooms, clean them from possible remains of soil and cut them into thick slices. Do the same with the shiitake mushrooms or any other mushrooms you are going to use.
- Wash the apple, cut it into quarters, core it, peel two quarters and cut them into cubes.
- Add the mushrooms and the half apple to the pot along with some ground black pepper and continue cooking for 5 more minutes.
- Saute for mushroom and apple risotto
- Heat the broth or water that you are going to use as you have to add it to the hot risotto. You can do it in a saucepan on the fire or in a container in the microwave, it should be practically boiling or almost boiling. Keep in mind that you will have to add salt if you are going to use water, and if it is broth it will depend on whether it has already been salted or not.
- After 5 minutes, turn up the heat to high and pour the white wine. Cook for 2-3 minutes so that the alcohol evaporates.
- Lower the heat back to medium and add the rice. Stir well with the rest of the ingredients for a couple of minutes.
- Add hot broth in batches, a good measure would be a glass although this is approximate (about 200 or 300 ml each time), and when the rice has absorbed it almost completely add another measure. The idea is to continue the process for between 15 and 20 minutes.
- Stir the rice from time to time and whenever you add broth or water it must be very hot. Regarding the amount of liquid, the estimate is 1.5 liters although there may be variations and if your risotto is ready before using all the broth, it does not need more.
- You can leave the other half of the apple with the skin on but you can also peel it if you prefer. Cut it into cubes and add it to the risotto after 10 minutes with the broth.
- When it has been cooking for about 15 minutes, it is recommended to taste the rice to check the point. It should be juicy and with the center done, it should not be hard but in no case it should be overcooked.
- When the risotto is ready, add the grated Parmesan cheese, turn off the heat and put the pot aside. Mix the cheese with the risotto, taste it in case you need more salt and cover the pot to let it rest for 5 minutes.
