Pinot noir & mushroom risotto

A great bottle of wine is the ultimate compliment to a luxurious and creamy mushroom risotto - an elegant comfort food, best paired with our 2020 Shenandoah Pinot Noir and a cold winter’s night.

Rich, earthy mushrooms highlight bright strawberry notes in this crisp, food-friendly Pinot.  Fresh, chopped parsley further adds a wonderful vibrancy and pulls out more lovely herbaceous layers in the wine. Silky tannins and a slight bite to the risotto add to the overall texture. All of this culminates into a well-balanced and beautiful pairing.

Our Mushroom Risotto recipe is inspired by Tyler Florence’s version published by the Food Network. A link to Tyler’s recipe is at the end of this post.

Step-by-step mushroom risotto

Ingredients:

8 cups chicken broth or vegetable stock, low sodium

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 onion, diced, divided

2 garlic cloves, minced, divided

1 pound fresh crimini mushrooms, sliced

2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped

4 tablespoons butter

Salt and pepper

1/2 tablespoon truffle oil

1-ounce dried chanterelle mushrooms

2 cups Arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

2/3 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, grated

Fresh Italian parsley, for garnish

The recipe:

Step 1: Heat the broth or stock in a medium saucepan and keep warm over low heat.

Step 2: Reconstitute the dried chanterelle mushrooms in 1 cup of the warm broth.

Step 3: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Step 4: To the skillet, add 1/2 onion and 1 clove garlic, cook while stirring until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Step 5: Add the fresh mushrooms, herbs and 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes until lightly browned, season with salt and pepper.

Step 6: Drizzle the truffle oil into the skillet, then add the reconstituted porcini mushrooms. Season again with salt and fresh cracked pepper. Sauté 1 minute then remove from heat and set aside.

Step 7: Coat a saucepan with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Sauté the remaining 1/2 onion and garlic clove until translucent.

Step 8: Add the rice to the saucepan and stir quickly until it is well-coated and opaque, about 1 minute. This step cooks the starchy coating and prevents the grains from sticking.

Step 9: Stir in the wine and cook until it is nearly all evaporated.

Step 10: To the saucepan, add 1 cup of the warm broth to and cook, while stirring, until the rice has absorbed the liquid.

Step 11: Add the remaining broth, 1 cup at a time. Continue to cook and stir, allowing the rice to absorb each addition of broth before adding the next.

The Final Step: When finished, the risotto should be slightly firm and creamy, not mushy. Transfer the mushrooms to the rice mixture. Stir in Parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons of butter, cook briefly until melted. Top with a drizzle of truffle oil and chopped parsley before serving.

Check out Tyler Florence’s original recipe by clicking HERE.

Cheers!