Easy Risotto & Gourmet Mushrooms Recipe

Risotto scares too many cooks. It's really a simple dish, though not commonly served at the American dinner table - unless you have some (usually Northern) Italian blood in your family. When done with care, risotto can be a sublime accompaniment to all types of dishes.

In fact, you can add all types of things to a risotto to really excite your guests - asparagus, mushrooms, seafood, an Italian cheese, saffron, wine (red or white) - the list goes on and on. Once you make a risotto, and the diners rave, you will be looking for those fresh, seasonal items to grace your next presentation.

Risotto is elegant and, at the same time, comforting. But do not confuse it with any other rice. A special rice, known as 'arborio' is grown in northern Italy, and no other rice is a worthy substitute. The grains are pearly and beautifully shaped. But the real secret is the unique starch that the rice releases when cooked, creating a very rich, creamy sauce. And every touch you add to flavor that sauce with elevate the risotto to spectacular palate-pleasing plateaus.

It is well worth the effort to buy arborio rice to make this dish. You can order it on the web if it is not available at a store in your area. You will pay a bit more, of course, because the arborio is so unique. I strongly urge you to seek out - even for your first attempt - carnaroli arborio. The Piemontese say that "Riso Carnaroli" is the king of all rices. The method I follow will produce a wonderful dish - even with 'regular' arborio rice. Unlike Chinese or Mexican or Uncle Ben's, arborio should have a little 'tooth', grains should maintain their identity, and never be cooked to mush. If the arborio you buy says 'superfino' on the label - you have obtained the best.

So let's gather our ingredients. Today I am making risotto to accompany a seafood entree. But remember: you can make just about anything and risotto will be excellent with it. Today it is more about the 'HOW' than the 'WHAT'. So here is how I do it.