Mushroom Miso Risotto

I like how mushrooms are used in Asian cuisine: their flavour is often enhanced using other umami-rich ingredients and not hidden under tremendous amounts of butter and cream. If you've tasted Japanese dishes such as kinoko gohan or okowa with mushrooms, you know what I'm talking about. I wanted to bring those tastes to this risotto.

Many people tend to think that risottos are unhealthy. I mean, of course the ones you order at a restaurant are full of butter, cheese and sometimes even cream, but so are many other restaurant foods too and still we make them at home. I like to create healthy and lighter options (such as this or this) which can be enjoyed on a day-to-day basis. This risotto is also one of those: it has plenty of umami coming from the mushroom and miso paste, but only a minimal amount of cream and cheese (if any!).

Another misconception about risotto is how laborious it is: they tell you how it needs constant stirring. Of course you need to stir it every now and then, like every other minute or so, but you don't need to do so every second you are cooking it IMO (the only difference I've noticed between constant stirring and stirring only every other minute at short intervals is how quickly the broth tends to evaporate). The key to the perfect creamy risotto is to stir vigorously every now and then so that the starch is released from the rice and remember to keep it enough moist. If you are using proper risotto rice, it cooks in about 20 minutes and on those short moments you are not stirring it, you can chop your ingredients, clean up the kitchen, make the table, prepare the salad etc., so that everything will be ready by the time risotto has cooked: so you will have a meal in about 25 minutes. Have I now convinced you to try making risotto?

I haven't yet tried to add ginger to this, but you could try putting a few small pieces to the broth and let it flavour it while you are stirring the risotto. I wouldn't grate it as the flavour might get too intense (unless you search for it).

Many happy risotto stirrings!

P.S. Toddybear has grown so much during the last months. He is already five months old, so he has lived with us whole three months!! (Scroll down for a photo of him I took two weeks ago outside the archipelago cottage. I took also the risotto photos there with the help of our guest, so many thanks to you too! )

Mushroom & Miso Risotto
Author: Tuulia / Kitchenfoxtales     Preparation Time: 5 min      Cooking Time: 20 min
Servings: 2 (or 3-4 as a starter)     Calories per serving*: 480 kcal

Risotto with a Japanese twist

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 100 g mushroom (any, even champignons are fine)
• 1 banana shallot (or 2 round shallots), finely chopped
• a splash of white wine or sake
• 150 grams risotto rice (I used arborio)
• 500-600 ml vegetable broth (preferably not very salty, as miso is very salty)
• 1-2 Tbsp heavy cream
• 1-2 tsp sesame oil
• 1-2 Tbsp white miso paste, or to taste, or replace with a handful of grated parmesan
• (salt or soy sauce if you want more saltiness without any extra flavour of miso)

Instructions:

1. Heat up the oil in a saucepan and saute the sliced mushroom until they seem firm and the released liquid has evaporated.
2. Add the shallot and continue sauteing until softened.
3. Add the rice and stir for a minute or so, letting it get slightly glossy.
4. Add the wine and let the alcohol bubble away.
5. Add broth, about a ladleful at a time, adding more broth once the rice has absorbed the liquid. Cook until the rice is done. This will take about 20-22 minutes.
6. If you run out of broth, add hot, boiled water (or use more broth, but mine was kind of salty, so I didn't want to add it more. I think I used liquid 650 ml in total, but it will depend upon your saucepan etc.)
7. Dissolve miso to a small amount of vegetable stock or hot water.
8. Take the risotto off the heat and add cream, sesame oil and dissolved miso. Check the salt, and add some if needed.

*Nutritional information is based on average values and is a rough estimate.

Sieni-misorisotto
Tekijä: Tuulia / Kitchenfoxtales     Valmistelut: 5 min      Kypsennysaika: 20 min
Annokset: 2:lle (tai 3-4:lle alkuruokana)    Energiasisältö per annos*: 480 kcal

Japani kohtaa Italian tässä syksyisessä risotossa.

Ainekset:

• 1 rkl rypsiöljyä
• 100 g sieniä (mitä tahansa, jopa herkkusienet käy hyvin, sillä misossa on paljon umamia, joka korostaa sienten makua)
• 1 banaanishalotti (tai 2 pyöreää shalottia), hienoksi kuutioituna
• loraus valkoviiniä tai sakea
• 150 g risottoriisiä (käytän aina arborioriisiä, se on mielestäni parhain: pehmenee, mutta pysyy pitkään "jämäkkänä")
• 500-600 ml kasvislientä (mielellään vähäsuolaista, sillä misosta tulee lisäsuolaisuutta)
• 1-2 rkl kermaa
• 1-2 tl seesamiöljyä
• 1-2 rkl valkoista misoa (tai maun mukaan) tai korvaa kourallisella parmesan-raastetta
• (tarvittaessa suolaa tai soijakastiketta, jos haluat suolaisuutta ilman enempää mison makua)

Valmistusohjeet:

1. Lämmitä paistokasarissa öljy ja kuullota viipaloituja sieniä, kunnes niistä irronnut neste on haihtunut.
2. Lisää shalotit ja kuullota niitä, kunnes ne ovat läpikuultavia.
3. Lisää riisi ja sekoita noin minuutti, jotta riisinjyvät muuttuvat kiiltäviksi.
4. Lisää viini ja anna sen haihtua. Sen jälkeen lisää lientä kauhallinen kerrallaan. Jatka kypsentämistä riisiä sekoitellen ja nestettä lisäten, kunnes riisi on kypsää (n. 20-22 min). Jos liemi loppuu kesken, jatka kuumalla, keitetyllä vedellä (ainakin, jos liemesi on edes jonkinasteisen suolaista).
5. Liuota miso pieneen määrään kuumaa kasvislientä tai vettä.
6. Ota risotto pois lämmöltä, kun se on valmis ja sekoita siihen miso, kerma ja seesamiöljy. Tarkista suola.

*Energiasisältö perustuu keskimääräisiin arvoihin ja on karkea arvio.

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