The Best Chanterelle Risotto



Risotto with Roasted Chanterelles

 In a Funk -I have to admit that I'm not doing very well on the Fall to Winter transition.  I have relied so heavily on my garden for so many months that I have gotten out of the habit of shopping, or even planning ahead so that I can have the necessary ingredients on hand to prepare a meal.  Until now I have embraced the idea of roaming around the garden looking inspiration for our evening meal.  I found it a challenge and a delight.  I never knew what would come out of my kitchen until I discovered what was available and abundant in the garden. But now things have changed. It's a little bleak out there - cabbage, Swiss chard, carrots, leeks and greens.  Not only that, it's dark, cold, and wet. The move out of Daylight Savings has also thrown me for a loop. It's no fun to be out there in the dark and rain trying to find greens for a salad.  I'm going to have to work this out.  My goal for this week is to face my dilemma head-on and get back in the groove.  We do have to eat, after all. 

In the meantime I thought you might like to hear about my best-ever recipe for Mushroom Risotto - it involves Chanterelles.  By this time all of our Chanterelle harvest has been prepared and frozen.  I'm missing those fresh mushrooms and am looking forward to another romp in the forest this weekend.  But first, I must document this recipe before I forget.  The Risotto is pretty straight forward with one exception, at the very end of the cooking process I added mushrooms that  had been roasted with garlic.  The flavor was spectacular.  The roasted Chanterelles were tender with a rich caramelized flavor; the tidbits of roasted garlic were divine. Well worth repeating.  Here's how I made it:

Risotto with Roasted Chanterelles

2 cups of medium sized Chanterelles, whole or cut in half
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, slivered
pinch of salt

1 leek, white part only, sliced
1 1/2 cups Chanterelles, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup arborio rice
3 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine
salt to taste
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

To roast the mushrooms:  toss mushrooms and garlic with olive oil and spread on cookie sheet or roasting pan.  Roast in 425F oven until the mushrooms are golden, have released their liquid and it has evaporated -about 20 minutes.  Any accumulated juice may be added to the risotto for flavor.

For Risotto:  Bring chicken stock to a simmer.  Keep at a low simmer while making the risotto.  heat olive oil in a  sauce pan over medium heat, add leeks and chopped mushrooms.  Saute until the leeks are limp and mushrooms begin to give up their liquid.  Add the rice and stir to coat.  Begin adding the simmering stock one cup at a time, stirring until the liquid has been absorbed each time. Add the wine and continue stirring and adding stock until the rice is opaque and tender, but still somewhat firm in the center. This should take about 20 minutes.  Adjust seasoning, adding salt to taste.  Stir in cheese and roasted mushrooms, reserving a few mushrooms for garnish.  Serve right away.