My mother-in-law's birthday falls over the holidays break each year... this year she requested that for her birthday dinner she would like everyone to plan a menu, prepare dinner and then clean up afterwards. Cooking for a large group can be challenging so we decided to go an Italian dish that everyone loves... risotto! This one is from the September 2007 issue of Bon Appetit and was so easy to prepare. I actually made the dish a bit healthier by substituting 1% milk in the leek mixture rather than heavy whipping cream and no one was the wiser! We had 10 adults and 3 children in attendance for the party and so I doubled the recipe as it said it would make 6-8 side dishes. Doubling the recipe was actually not necessary and you could feed 10 adults with the recipe below as long as you serve it with a side salad and perhaps some bread. Finally, we did not have any truffle oil readily available but the dish was wonderful without this pricey addition. Unfortunately I did not get a photo of this meal so instead I included a photo of D train watching in awe as Mr. E's mom opened her RED kitchenaid mixer!
Risotto with Leeks and a Melange of Mushrooms
Leeks:
* 2 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), halved, thinly sliced crosswise (about 2 cups)
* 3/4 cup whipping cream (sub 1% milk for a healthier version)
Mushrooms:
* 1 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, cut into 1/4- to 1/3-inch-thick slices (or a mix of different mushrooms)
* 1 large onion, halved, thinly sliced lengthwise
* 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
* 1 tablespoon white truffle oil
* 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
Risotto:
* 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, divided
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 1 1/2 cups arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
* 1/2 cup dry white wine
* 5 cups (or more) hot vegetable broth
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 2 teaspoons shaved or chopped black truffle (optional)
* Chopped fresh parsley
Preparation
For leeks:
Bring leeks and cream to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until leeks are tender and cream is thick, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm before continuing.
For mushrooms:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss all ingredients on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until mushrooms are tender and light brown around edges, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
For risotto:
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Add wine and stir until almost all liquid is absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup hot broth. Simmer until broth is almost absorbed, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Add more broth, 1 cup at a time, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding next and stirring often, until rice is tender and mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes longer. Stir in leek mixture, mushroom mixture, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, cheese, and truffle. Transfer to large bowl, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.
Market Tip White truffle oil is sold at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Italian markets. Black truffles are available at specialty foods stores and from igourmet.com. A flavorful substitute for the shaved truffles is the Truffle Gatherers Sauce ($19), which can be ordered from fungusamongus.com.
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