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Mushroom Risotto in a Rice Cooker

3/6/2012

 
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Master the art of mushroom risotto cooked in a rice cooker
If ever Peter and I arrive later than usual at the Capital Region Farmer's Market on Saturday morning, I make a beeline for Noel Arrold's Li-Sun Mushroom stall (hopefully) before his stock sells out. Peter and I love Noel's exotic fresh funghi and regularly use an assortment of mushrooms in omelettes, stir fries, pan fried with toast for breakfast, and risotto.
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Beautiful King Brown mushrooms from Li-Sun
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Button, King Brown, Wood Ear and Swiss Brown Mushrooms, together with garlic and eschalots make for a flavoursome risotto
Risotto is a favourite on the menu at my place. The making of risotto is an art form and it takes time and patience to master. Indeed, MasterChef judge, Matt Preston, often 'marvels at the inability of contestants to cook risotto'.  

As with all cooking, a good risotto requires premium-quality ingredients: home-made broth or stock; butter or extra virgin olive oil (EVOO); the freshest vegetables, meat, fish or poultry, Parmigiano-Reggiano; and risotto rice, such as Arborio, Vialone Nano or Carnaroli. You will also need a long handled wooden spatula and a sturdy, heavy-bottomed pan (a Scanpan or Renaware saute pan or casserole is perfect).

In Marcella Cucina, doyenne of Italian cookery writing, Marcella Hazan, provides very specific instructions about the unique cooking method and exact technique for risotto. For best results in risotto making, Hazan's instructions are well worth following. Step one is the gentle sautéing of onions and other ingredients (such as meat and vegetables), and then adding the rice.  

Step two is where you add the broth or stock, a ladleful at a time, to the pan, 'stirring the contents, scraping them away from the bottom and sides with the wooden spatula, until the liquid is gone, partly through absorption, partly through evaporation'. Hazan advises that another ladleful of stock be added only when there is no more liquid in the pan and that the risotto absolutely must be stirred constantly. Chef, food writer and gourmet farmer, Matthew Evans, once confirmed this theory for me in a cooking class he gave, demonstrating a zucchini flower risotto and his own relaxed style of stirring which he referred to as 'a contemplative stir'. Nicely said.

Step three, Hazan says, is tasting the rice to see whether it is cooked. At this stage, the rice begins to form a porridge like consistency. By now, the amount of liquid added should be reduced so that when the risotto is cooked it should be moist but not runny. Finally, butter, cream or crème fraîche is added to the risotto to give it a soft consistency.

Hazan explains how the risotto method works. 'The gradual addition of small quantities of liquid at a steady high heat gradually dissolves the soft starch surrounding the rice kernel, which begins to swell. Constant stirring rubs away the dissolving starch and at the same time distributes it, binding it uniformly to every single grain of rice and to all the ingredients in the pan. It is only through that sustained stirring motion that you produce the marvellous amalgam, the creamy fusion of swollen rice and vegetables, or seafood, or meat that is risotto'. Hazan describes this as the final and best tough, bestowing on a risotto 'a creamy consistency of great opulence'.  

So, dear reader, you are now armed with instructions from an expert (Hazan) on the making of a perfect risotto. And this method is ideal for weekends, when you have the time to while away an afternoon in the kitchen. But what about midweek, after work, in the depths of winter. You're cold, tired and hungry, and have all the ingredients for risotto, but little time or energy? Please allow me to come to the rescue with my recipe for risotto cooked in a rice cooker. Would the purists please cease with the commotion and indulge me for a moment!

My first experience with risotto cooked in a rice cooker was when a well known chef, whose name now escapes me, demonstrated it in a cooking class at my school over a decade ago. At the time, I had no idea that such a thing was possible (in fact, I'm not sure I even owned a rice cooker). I should mention that as a child my mother taught me how to make perfectly delicious rice with chicken stock, eschalots and garlic, cooked by the absorption method in a pan with a tight-fitting lid. Mum would place a folded damp tea towel over the lid of the saucepan to make sure no steam escaped! While I could never quite reach the heights of flavour that my mother achieved with her rice, I did master her technique, so never had the need for a rice cooker. Then the generous PR people at Breville sent me one to play with. My eyes had been opened to a whole new world of rice cookery and I haven't really looked back. This is not to say that I don't prepare risotto in the traditional way, I do (regularly), so please don't despair and throw your tea towel in the air just yet.

Here's my recipe for midweek mushroom risotto in a rice cooker. Try it, fiddle, tweak and make it work for you. I think, once you get the hang of it, you will love it!

MUSHROOM RISOTTO
1 tablespoon EVOO (and a little butter if you wish)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 eschalots, chopped
1 cup (2 rice cooker cups) Arborio, Vialone Nano or Carnaroli rice
200mls dry white wine
2 cups stock, warmed but not boiling
3-4 King Brown mushrooms
a handful of Swiss Brown mushrooms
a handful of Wood Ear mushrooms
a handful of button mushrooms
a small red chilli, finely sliced
sea salt and white pepper, to taste
an extra King Brown Mushroom and 2-3 extra buttons and Swiss Browns for garnish
Parmigiano-Reggiano, for garnish

First, brush any dirt off the mushrooms and chop them. Heat the EVOO in the rice cooker and add the garlic and eschalot, stirring until they soften. Add the mushrooms and stir, gently, taking care not to bruise the mushrooms too much. Then, add the rice and stir until the rice is 'pearly'. Add the wine and wait for the alcohol to boil off, stirring through. Then add the warm stock, a little at a time, stirring. Season with sea salt and white pepper. Now pop the lid on, bring to the boil and allow the risotto to cook. Do not stir it from this point. Test when the rice cooker switches to 'Keep warm'. If you feel the risotto needs a little more stock, or a little longer cooking time, then do so. It should have that creamy consistency of a typical risotto.Meanwhile, slice the extra King Browns, and toss them together with the buttons and Swiss Browns into a hot frypan with a tiny bit of EVOO and the chilli. Cook quickly, just to colour the mushrooms. When ready to serve your risotto, spoon it into a serving bowl, garnish with the browned mushrooms and Parmigiano-Reggiano. This quantity will serve 4.

Incidentally, if you prefer to have a little protein in the form of chicken with your mushroom risotto, pan fry some diced tenderloins or breast meat in a little EVOO, garlic and chilli, and toss this through the risotto before serving. Yum!

The process in pictures... chop, fry, stir, cook

Dinner is served in a jiffy...

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Mushroom risotto al la Lizzy: 'A creamy consistency of great opulence', perhaps Marcella would approve?

Does risotto feature on your menu? Have you ever cooked risotto in your rice cooker? Are you willing to try?
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bev
31/5/2012 12:23:32 pm

i must visit this gentlemen when I come through canberra in october - they look devine

Lizzy
31/5/2012 12:26:00 pm

Bev, you must indeed! Stop at his tunnels... make an appointment via the web site or phone number in my link! Thanks for stopping in.

Miss Piggy link
31/5/2012 12:36:58 pm

Perfectly easy! Shall add this to the must try list.

Lizzy
31/5/2012 12:40:11 pm

Well done Mel! Karen will no doubt be able to supply you with some wonderful fungi!

ChopinandMysaucepan link
31/5/2012 12:49:32 pm

Dear Lizzy,

Your mushroom risotto would put many of those in restaurants to shame! Love the fact you have used different types of mushrooms which add so much more complexity in flavours, textures and visually, it looks so rustic and wholesome.

A good mushroom risotto takes a bit more skill and I have read that it can be tweaked and done in a rice cooker like you have done. Not sure if I would try the rice cooker method as I love the fun of gradually ladling stock and watch the risotto come to fruition.

I find the dried porcini mushrooms really give depth of flavour and the water used to rehydrate them has such an earthy pungent flavour and I always use that as part of the stock.

My favourite garnish apart from the cheese is a slight drizzle of black truffle oil that seems to lift this dish to another level.

Lizzy
31/5/2012 12:57:15 pm

Chopinand, thank you. My mushroom risotto cooked this way is rustic, wholesome and ever so delicious! Yes, I add dried porcini too, when I cook the traditional way and, like you, I use the soaking liquid in the stock. I am a little 'over' truffle oil... tasted it to death when I co-owned the cooking school, but agree that it lifts the flavour to a new level. Thanks so much for visiting.

Laura (Tutti Dolci) link
31/5/2012 04:07:26 pm

Mushroom risotto is my favorite! I love making it on a cool Sunday evening in the winter - the process is so comforting. I don't own a rice cooker, but I've heard it can certainly speed things up in the kitchen!

Lizzy
31/5/2012 04:24:11 pm

Hi Laura, mine too! Although I do love a seafood risotto too! I like the rice cooker, but also love that therapeutic stirring in the traditional way of risotto making... a little like kneading dough ; )

Claire @ Claire K Creations link
31/5/2012 05:12:00 pm

I have stalls I make a bee-line for too. It's awful when you miss out! All the different mushrooms make this look amazing.

Lizzy
31/5/2012 07:34:36 pm

Thanks Claire! It not only looks amazing... it tastes great too!

Irena Macri link
31/5/2012 09:15:13 pm

Hey Lizzy, thanks for the recipe. I make lots of risottos but I've never used a rice cooker for it. In fact, we even have a setting on our rice cooker for RISOTTO but I've been ignoring it in a snobbish kind of way. I think you've convinced me to give it a go on one of those i-can't-be-bothered nights.

Lizzy
31/5/2012 09:42:05 pm

Irena, you are most welcome! Do give this recipe a try, adapt it to suit your tastes and your cooker. It is worth it! Thanks for popping in.

Jen @ Savory Simple link
1/6/2012 05:13:02 am

I've never thought to try risotto in a rice cooker. How interesting!

Lizzy
1/6/2012 09:02:22 pm

Jen, hello there! Well, as you may have read, neither had I. But it is possible, and is a great stand by dish for midweek. Don't give up on the traditional risotto, by any means, but do try this one. Thanks for calling in ; )

Maureen @ Orgasmic Chef link
1/6/2012 12:28:03 pm

I love risotto and mushroom or pumpkin and pine nut are my favourites. I have never made it in my slow cooker though. Great idea!

Lizzy
1/6/2012 09:03:03 pm

Hello Maureen! Ah yes, pumpkin risotto, so lovely and sweet. I'm with you there. Give it a try... you might be surprised.

Ai-Ling@blueapocalypse link
1/6/2012 12:53:27 pm

Hi Lizzy

I have a rice cooker and never knew that you could make risotto in it. Thanks for giving such comprehensive instructions and tips. The results look great.I will have to try it one night after work!

Lizzy
1/6/2012 09:04:22 pm

Hello there! See, I learned that fact too and I have never looked back! As I said earlier, please don't give up on the traditional risotto method, but the rice cooker way is great for weeknights. Thanks for your kind words about my post. I greatly appreciate it!

The Food Sage link
1/6/2012 10:41:08 pm

I have NEVER thought of cooking in a rice cooker ... other than rice, that is. So how do you think risotto cooked this way compares to risotto cooked using the traditional method? What differences do you note? I absolutely adore mushrooms and love risotto, so i'll give this recipe a try. I have heaps of mushrooms in the fridge for tomorrow's breakfast - i love them sliced thin and sauteed with Pepe Saya butter, thyme and salt & pepper.

Lizzy
1/6/2012 11:41:01 pm

Rachel, I am amazed that people are still not aware that you can cook in a rice cooker. But, LOL, I guess it goes to show that none of us really read instruction manuals! I was surprised to learn this fact too. As I said, I had no idea until one of the chefs demonstrated it.

How does it compare to the traditional method and what differences do I note? Well, the most obvious is that it's a WHOLE lot quicker and more convenient. Which suits me perfectly on a week night, especially in the depths of winter! This way is not quite as creamy, as you are not stirring as much. However, as you can see in my photographs, the results are really not half bad!

Use only the BEST quality ingredients from start to finish, which I'm sure you would, Rachel. And do the garnish with those extra pan fried mushrooms in chilli and garlic (and perhaps some Pepe Saya!). This is magic on top of the risotto!

And, if at first you don't succeed. Then, darn it, try again!

The Food Sage link
11/6/2012 11:52:45 pm

Thanks for the advice, Lizzy. I need some new quick week night recipes!

Michelle link
2/6/2012 11:17:08 am

Wow! I am definitely going to try this! It's my hubbie's fave and I am always out to try new ways to use my gadgets.

Lizzy
2/6/2012 12:26:35 pm

Hi Michelle, excellent! Let me know how you go with it ; )

muppy link
2/6/2012 11:40:20 pm

love love love the chunky mushroom on top!

Lizzy
3/6/2012 09:05:01 am

Thanks Muppy! The garnish of flavoursome mushrooms makes a world of difference. This dish really does taste great, I hope you will try it!

InTolerant Chef link
3/6/2012 12:08:13 am

I certainly love my rice cooker, it can do such more than people think. Lovely recipe Lizzy, I bought some orange pine mushrooms from Adelaide this weekend and am looking forward to trying them.

Lizzy
3/6/2012 09:05:54 am

Hi there... great to hear that you know how to fully utilise the rice cooker. The orange pine are so beautiful, aren't they!

e / dig in link
7/6/2012 11:53:41 am

i made risotto the old fashioned way last weekend - but i shall definitely give this a try!stirring is fun - for a little while. thanks for the inspiration.

Lizzy
10/6/2012 07:33:59 pm

Thank you for stopping by!

Lizzy
12/6/2012 12:37:39 am

My pleasure Rachel. Happy cooking my friend xo

Manu link
13/6/2012 08:39:44 pm

I have never made risotto in a rice cooker, but the result looks good to me! :-)

I have been making risotto all my life (in fact, risotto alla milanese was the first dish I ever made by myself when I was about 6 or 7)... and I can tell you this much: stirring constantly is NOT compulsory. It used to be in the past when there were no non stick pans, as rice gets easily stuck to the bottom of the pan if left unattended. But nowadays, that's not an issue anymore. Actually, many chefs in Italy say that constantly stirring the rice is no good as the motion can break/damage the rice itself. Now, I don't know what the answer is as I am no chef... but when I make it, I use a non stick pan (Scanpan) and I stir it occasionally (usually when I add the stock and just before adding the next laddle of stock)... It just makes my life easier. It's always perfect in taste. :-) I think the most crucial passages on making risotto are the "toasting" of the rice at the beginning and the "mantecatura" with butter and Parmigiano Reggiano at the end. Other than that... it all works. :-)

Off to make risotto too for dinner! hehehe
Hugs

Lizzy
15/6/2012 01:41:39 pm

Manu, despite the instructions from Marcella Hazan above, I have to agree with you 50/50. Over the ten years that I had my cooking school, I learned that some chefs do stir, others don't. I do sometimes, I don't sometimes. I just know that I love risotto and if it's cooked with love, it will always turn out just right! xox

Andrea
15/9/2013 09:27:47 pm

Thank-you ! I now know what we are having for dinner tomorrow night. I have a rice cooker (bought on impulse and gathering a little dust..); and also some gorgeous mushrooms from the Southside Markets in Canberra on Sunday. So, this will be dinner tomorrow night, and because I love roast pumpkin, I will throw some cubed roast pumpkin in also. Yum!!


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    Photo of Liz Posmyk, Food Writer, Cook and Traveller

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