a risotto too far

I foolishly decided to throw caution to the wind and cook a meal that took a little more effort than throwing some frozen vegetables into a pan along with meat and a jar of sauce. Elder daughter loves risotto so I thought I would be a good mama and make her one a Mushroom and Asparagus risotto as effortlessly created by Martha.

My first mistake was that it was Monday night. Who cooks gourmet, well pseudo gourmet, meals on a Monday night? Monday nights are for sitting on the couch and moaning ,”oh lordie, it is only Monday night”. I think I coerced myself into doing it by all day Monday imagining myself dressed in a cute apron (which I don’t even own. I do have aprons but none could be classed as cute, or Mother knows best style) standing with wine glass in hand while I stirred the risotto with the other hand, blissfully listening to music as I cooked.

Never happened. Well the wine did make it into the glass and the glass made it on to the bench next to the stove, but there ended up being so many steps to the recipe, involving so many saucepans that the wine only got gulped down just before I served the meal. At that stage it was to dampen the hysteria welling inside of me like a tsunami.

Martha should have warned me that I would need 3 pairs of arms to cook this risotto. I checked afterwards, and the recipe carried no warning on needing extra appendages to handle the configuration of the recipe. I felt cheated. Martha let me down. It was not a good thing.

First I had to make mushroom stock, then the rice mix, while still keeping the stock warm. Then I had to prepare an ice bath for the asparagus at the same time I was blanching its tips and stems separately. There was wine to add – to the risotto! Then cheese to grate. All the while I had to decide if the liquid had almost evaporated or not. Define almost. I mean, really, is your almost, my almost? What does an almost look like? Too much or too little and obviously the risotto would be lost. Made mental note to self to petition government to cut the word almost from the dictionary as too ambiguous and open to conjecture.

I felt and acted like a whirling dervish. I think I used every pot in my set and every large spoon as well. I ran out of ice and then had to fret that the ice bath would be too warm and my asparagus would not stay a crisp green. The kitchen looked akin to a bomb site by the time I had finished! I huffed and puffed like a marathon runner crossing the finish line., perspiration trickling down the side of my face.

But, it was a winner. Daughter said that she would actually pay money for my risotto at a restaurant, so I am going to take that as a compliment. And know what? Next time she wants risotto, she can pay money for it at a restaurant, and buy me one too!


Mushroom and Asparagus Risotto

Ingredients

1 pound assorted mushrooms, such as oyster and cremini, cleaned
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for serving
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions
Remove stems from mushrooms; set aside. Cut mushrooms into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside two-thirds of the mushrooms and coarsely chop the remaining mushrooms; set aside. Place porcini mushrooms, mushroom stems, and 6 cups water in a medium saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Let boil for 2 minutes; immediately remove from heat and let stand 15 to 20 minutes. Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve into another medium saucepan; discard solids. Place mushroom stock over low heat and keep covered until ready to use.
Cut 2 inches from the top of asparagus; set aside. Cut remaining portion of the asparagus crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces. Bring a small saucepan of salted water to a boil; prepare an ice-water bath. Place asparagus tips in boiling water and cook until tender-crisp, about 2 minutes; drain and immediately transfer to ice-water bath to cool. Drain and set aside. Repeat process with 1/4-inch asparagus pieces.
Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 2 minutes.
Add rice and stir to coat. Add wine and increase heat to medium-high; season with 2 teaspoons salt. Let cook, stirring, until liquid is almost evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the warm mushroom stock and cook, stirring constantly, until liquid is almost evaporated, about 2 minutes. Repeat this process 2 more times.
Add reserved coarsely chopped mushrooms and season with 1 teaspoon pepper. Continue adding mushroom stock, 1/2 cup at a time, and cook, stirring, until liquid has almost evaporated, about every 2 minutes, until rice is al dente, 20 to 30 minutes total.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add remaining two-thirds of the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 2 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add asparagus tips and cook until lightly browned, about 1 minute more. Remove from heat and set aside.
Add 1/4-inch pieces of asparagus to risotto and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove risotto from heat and add remaining 1/4 cup olive oil to risotto, along with butter and cheese. Stir until butter has melted and mixture is well combined. Season with salt and pepper.
Divide risotto evenly among 4 serving plates. Top with sauteed mushrooms and asparagus tips. Drizzle with olive and serve immediately.