The other day I opened up my cupboard to find an old friend. Underneath the piles of Pyrex, the gleaming gold and orange of the mushroom detail caught my eye. “No,” I said. “Risotto is just way too time consuming. It’s late in the day and I don’t think I have the energy.”
“But you miss me, don’t you?”
“Yes, my little mushroom dish. Yes, I do. Let me pour a glass of wine and we will cook.”
Mushroom Risotto with Spinach and Bacon
- 6 cups of organic chicken broth
- 8 slices of center-cut bacon, chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup chopped shallots
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 5 ounces baby portobella mushrooms, sliced
- 5 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
- 5 ounces oyster mushrooms, sliced
- 1.5 cups uncooked Arborio rice
- 1 cup dry sherry
- 5 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1/2-cup grated fresh Asiago cheese
- 1/2-cup grated fresh Parmaesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- First, do your self a favor and have everything prepped. Risotto does not like it when you step a way from it for any length of time.
- Bring organic chicken broth to a simmer in a saucepan (do not boil the broth). Keep warm over low heat.
- Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add bacon to pan; cook until crisp. Remove the bacon from pan, leaving the drippings in the pan. Add oil, shallots, parsley, thyme and garlic to drippings in the pan. Cook 5 minutes or until shallots are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in mushrooms; cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add rice and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in dry sherry; cook 1 minute or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 cup of broth; cook 4 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 25-30 minutes total). Stir in spinach; cook 1 minute or until all is wilted. Remove from heat; stir in cheeses, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with chopped bacon.
- Dig in, you earned this meal!
Casserole Queens 