Oyster Mushroom and Gorgonzola Risotto

Preparation

Simple oyster mushroom risotto is perfect for breakfast. It is hearty, with a light savory taste, and the mushroom aroma lifts your mood. You can replace the oyster mushrooms with other mushrooms, though they are always easy to find in shops. Gorgonzola has a mild sharp flavor and is the best cheese for this dish. If you cannot find gorgonzola, use similar blue cheeses such as Danablu or Roquefort.

1. Prepare the stock. Risotto is usually cooked with stock, and you need 4–5 cups of vegetable or mushroom stock. Keep it in a saucepan on low heat next to the pan so it stays hot, almost at a simmer.

2. Fry the oyster mushrooms to intensify the aroma of the dish. Wash the mushrooms and cut off the stems, which are quite tough. Cut the caps, or “petals” as they are called, into thick strips. Pour 1 tbsp of olive oil into a frying pan and fry the mushrooms over medium heat, stirring often, until they release their liquid, which quickly evaporates. When the mushrooms start to turn golden, transfer them to a plate.

   

Cooking the risotto

3. Fry the shallots and the rice. Pour all the remaining olive oil into the pan. Peel and finely chop the shallots and fry them in the oil until soft. Add the rice; Arborio is the usual choice and the most available. Stirring, fry the rice for 1–2 minutes until it is coated with oil.

   

4. Pour in half a cup of dry white wine (100 ml) and cook over medium heat so the wine evaporates and some of it is absorbed by the rice.

5. Add the stock in portions until the rice is done. Add it one ladle at a time, and pour in the next only after the rice has absorbed the previous one. Depending on the rice variety, you may need 4 cups of stock (800 ml) or more. The rice is ready when it is soft with a barely perceptible firmness in the very center of the grains, and the consistency is close to thick porridge.

   

6. Add the fried oyster mushrooms and the grated or mashed gorgonzola. Season the rice with just a little salt and ground black pepper. Stirring, cook the risotto until the cheese melts completely into it and the dish is smooth and free of lumps.

   

Serving

7. Quite often, to boost the creamy taste, a small piece of butter is added to risotto at the very end, which is optional. Grated Parmesan is also added, though I would add more gorgonzola instead, which tastes better. Spoon the risotto onto plates and serve while it is hot.

   

   For variety, you can add a pinch of finely chopped parsley or walnuts to the risotto. If you use dried porcini mushrooms, make a stock from them, then fry the mushrooms themselves and add them to the risotto at the same time as the rice.