yum

Had a bit of a risotto fest at la casa de mi the other day. My lovely wife called me at work and asked how to make a risotto. After ascertaining that our larder was a bit bare, I said I would just pick up the necessities and make it myself.

I brought home 8 ounces of shitake mushrooms and 4 ounces of smoked swiss cheese, which wound up being enough for 2 batches of risotto. I'll also mention that I'm a pushover - I made two batches in the same night. It seemed a little labor intensive at first, but quite a bit less so now.

The first time I tried my hand at risotto it did not turn out this good, and I left out a fairly significant step - I didn't keep the stock hot. This made a big difference in the cooking time and the consistency of the finished risotto.

I have noticed a bit of variance in some of the recipes I have found online. Try using more or less wine if you like.

6-8 cups chicken stock
3 TBSP unsalted butter
2 TBSP EVOO
1 (ish) cup dryish white wine (bonus points if you finish the rest of the wine yourself!)
4 ounces shitake mushrooms, chopped coarsely
2 ounces smoked swiss
1 small onion
1 to 1.5 cups coarsely chopped broccoli
2 cloves minced garlic
1.5 - 2 cups arborio rice

Bring and keep the stock at a very low simmer. Alton Brown says to add the wine to the stock - I haven't tried that. He's a smart guy though.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and add the onions and EVOO. just cook the onions untill they become translucent, dont saute them. (what's that called?)
Add in the mushrooms, broccoli, and garlic. Turn a few times until the broccoli starts to brighten in color. Add the rice, and turn. Dont let the rice brown.
Add the wine (or a cup of the mixture), and stir while the liquid cooks off. After the liquid cooks off, add enough hot liquid to the mixture to cover the rice. Keep adding and cooking down until the rice is creamy and al dente. Remove from heat and add the cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.

Pants.