Really, really, really good Mushroom Risotto

So I've managed to tear myself away from George - finally! And to get the (traditional) full slow food cooking experience, I decided a risotto was in order.

I also had some wonderful stock that I wanted to put to good use, as well as some porcini mushrooms and a lovely large hunk of Chilli Romano cheese that I picked up at Northbridge Continental on the weekend.

I do have to admit that the stock was a by-product of the crockpot.... it was courtesy of my first attempt at doing Corned Silverside and it was just too good to dispose of, so I froze it with a nice risotto in mind. And strangely it worked amazingly well with the porcini mushrooms. The result was a lovely rich risotto with a really interesting depth of flavour. And it's such a good excuse to do another Silverside next time I see it on special!

And as I mentioned to A today, I really don't like a reheated risotto - it is something about the texture and the glugginess that doesn't fare so well the next day. However I don't mind a bit of cruch.... so I managed to throw together some tasty little risotto cakes with the leftovers. How sensible and decadent!

Porcini & Fresh Mushroom Risotto

1 10gm packet dried funghi porcini
1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1 cup hot water, more if needed
2 cups of stock (I used ‘beef’ from the silverside but any could be used)
1 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
2 cups arborio rice
1 sprig rosemary
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter
Cheese to taste (I used Chilli Romano)

Soak the mushrooms in the cup of hot water for about 20 minutes.

Chop the onion and fry it off in half the olive oil (a good tablespoon). When it starts going translucent, add the garlic and sauté. Add the remaining oil, then the rice and stir until well coated and the rice starts to turn clear.

Meanwhile pop stock and wine in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.

Drain the mushrooms, reserving the liquid to add to the simmering stock. Chop mushrooms finely and add to rice.

Add a cup of the hot stock to the rice and stir, stir away until it absorbs. Continue adding stock and stirring. Keep adding, tasting as you go....

After about 10-15 minutes, add the sprig of rosemary and fresh mushrooms.

Continue cooking, stirring and stocking until the rice is done to your liking.

Remove the rosemary and discard. You may find you need to add more liquid at this point if you have run out of the stock mixture (I added some hot water as the risotto was already lovely and rich).

Finally add the butter, cracked pepper and a bit of cheese – stirring until it all goes creamy and gooey and yummy. Serve up with some freshly grated cheese on top. Yum!

For Risotto Cakes / Balls:

With wet hands (trust me on this), roll the leftover rice into small balls, then coat in flour, dunk in egg and roll in breadcrumbs and add to a pan of hot olive oil. Cook until crispy and lovely and then drain on paper towels.

Tasting Notes:

• This was just lovely. I think the stock made the dish - I'll post the Corned Beef recipe for the ingredients.


• The rosemary was an impromptu addition and it worked marvellously; it gave a lovely fresh taste to the richness of the porcini.


• The Chilli Romano also matched really well, giving a nice hint of heat.


• I never usually add butter at the end, however this was a special treat and it was entirely worth it.... I'm not sure I could go back to not adding butter!
  
  

Crock Pot Corned Beef / Silverside.... with Yummy White Sauce

Yet another masterpiece from George..... I'm going through a phase of trying out retro dishes I grew up with, but have never made. I did try trifle the other week and it was a colossal failure. I didn't even complete it before tossing it. I shall go back to letting Mum do that one... once bitten, twice shy I say!

This dish, on the other hand, was a winner! And it was so easy to make, with plenty to go around.... mum got a serving, I got a serve for dinner and plenty of leftovers for lunches! No offence to mum but her's never quite turned out this tender and tasty... I was really impressed with the impregnation of flavour - and now I won't cook this any other way. Good on George. Good on me.

And don't forget to save the stock.... it was marvy recycled into the Porcini Mushroom Risotto.

Slow Cooker Corned Silverside with Mustardy White Sauce

1 Piece Silverside / Corned Beef
3 Carrots – cut in halves
4 Potatoes – halved, unpeeled
2 Onions - small, whole, peeled (pickling)
Peppercorns – black (about 10)
Ginger - small knuckle (fresh)
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
½ Cup Vinegar – I used white, with a splash of white balsamic
Warm Water

Spray inside of crock pot with non stick spray, layer carrots in the bottom. Add beef, poke in the potatoes, onions and ginger and then sprinkle peppercorns around the meat.

Mix sugar with Vinegar until dissolved. Pour over beef, and top up with warm water until meat is covered. Cover and cook.

I cooked this on low for 10 hours and it was meltingly, fall apart tender. I’d almost go as far to say it was slightly overdone, but I was at work and unable to turn it off!

Serve with vegetables and white sauce.

*** Reserve stock for the White Sauce and the Mushroom risotto (see other posts)! This must be strained though..... Line a sieve with paper towel, strain, discarding all the peppercorns and bits.

White Sauce with Mustard

2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Plain Flour
1 Cup Milk
1 Cup Stock/Cooking Liquid from Silverside
1 teaspoon Mustard

Melt butter until bubbling. Stir in flour and cook for a minute or two. Add mustard and stir to combine. Add milk slowly, stirring to thicken taking out the lumps as you go. Add stock slowly until the sauce reaches desired consistency and taste.

Tasting Notes:

• This was super! Yay for retro dinners!


• The meat was divinely tender – it fell apart on carving but was the tenderest corned beef I’ve had. It also had a lovely mellow flavour from slow cooking with the sweet carrots, vinegar and brown sugar.


• Next time, I may shave an hour off the cooking time.


• Most recipes say to discard the stock, but it was just so lovely and tasty that I couldn’t part with it. It worked beautifully with the porcini mushroom risotto.... and would be equally as fab with pumpkin.


• This was so easy.... 2 minutes to prepare, and lovely comfort food. Don’t peel the potatoes as they will hold their shape and remain waxy rather than watery.


• A recommended cooking this in Ginger ale - I didn't have any. Hence I added a nice chunk of fresh ginger and it worked! It was a subtle flavour and could be done without, but I liked it....