Following on from our very popular mushroom master class last month. Where guests had the opportunity to learn all things mushrooms, I thought it would be well suited to include a mushroom recipe this month.
Question: What’s the difference between a flat mushroom, field mushroom and a portobello mushroom?
Answer:
Flat or field mushrooms are the same thing, they both have a “flat Cap” that’s completely open. They are generally quite large which makes them perfect for meat alternatives, stuffing or roasting on the BBQ
Portobello mushrooms are a more mature Swiss brown mushroom, with a brown rather than a white outer cap. Deep earthy flavour. Uses are very much like flat mushrooms. More often than not they are both sold as the same mushroom!
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 Tbsp oil
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 1/2 cup white wine like a chardonnay
- 4 cups mushroom or vegetable stock100g butter
- 1/2 cup good parmesan, grated
- salt and cracked pepper
- 6 portobello mushrooms
Optional
1 tbsp truffle oil
Pre-heat the oven to 180*c. Take the mushrooms and peel the outside skin off (reserved the skins to make a mushroom stock) Lay the mushroom fin side up into a roasting tray and drizzle with a tbsp of oil. Season with salt and pepper and roast for 12 minutes.
Once cooked place 1/2 the mushrooms into a food processor and blitz until smooth and slice the remaining mushrooms.
Prepare the risotto.
Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a medium pot, (not too small) and sauté the onion and the garlic until tender. Add the rice and cook for two minutes while stirring to toast and harden the grain of the rice. Add the wine and continue to stir until fully reduced.
Now start adding in the stock. Starting with 2 cups then reducing the amounts added until the risotto has absorbed all the stock. Continue to stir, taste and season with salt during this time. Cook until the rice is al dente. A little more stock might be required if it becomes too dry.
Stir in the mushrooms followed by the butter and finally the grated parmesan.
A good risotto should fall like molten lava.