Ingredients
Steps
1. Place the broth in a medium sauce pan, turn heat to medium and let it heat up. Add a few mushrooms and/or a few dashes of mushroom flavoured dark soy sauce for extra umami.
2. Place olive oil and one tbsp of the butter to a deep, high-sided skillet and turn the heat to medium. When it’s hot and the butter is melted and sizzling a little, add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, for one minute, until they are well softened but not brown.
3. Add the rice and cook, stirring until the rice is coated in the oil. If you’re using a gas stove, turn the flame up a touch, to make sure the rice gets nice and toasted. If using electric, you can do the same, just make sure not to turn the heat up too high and scorch the rice. Cook for one minute, keeping an eye and stirring constantly.
4. Add the mushrooms. Stir and coat everything in the oily, buttery, mushroomy mixture.
5. Cook the shallot, rice and mushroom mixture for eight to ten minutes. Add a little salt if you wish to encourage the mushrooms to give up their moisture faster. Once they do this, they will start to shrink substantially and if you didn’t use three cups of mushrooms, you’ll begin to wish you had.
6. Add the white wine, and turn the heat up high enough that it starts to bubble. Stir and let the liquid bubble away, about a minute. (If you’re omitting the white wine, move on to the next step. If you are not omitting the white wine, you may want to pour yourself a small glass now to get you through all the stirring.)
7. Begin to add the warm stock, half a cup or so at a time, stirring after each addition and then stirring again every minute or so. Make sure there is always enough liquid so that the rice doesn’t start to stick. Turn down the heat if you need to, but not so low that you don’t get a nice simmer that cooks the liquid away after each addition.
8. Every time the stock just about evaporates, add more. The mixture should not be soupy, and it should not be dry. Constant stirring is not necessary, but do stir frequently and keep a close eye.
9. Start tasting the rice 20 minutes after you add the first portion of stock. The goal is al dente, tender rice with a tiny bit of crunch. This takes between 20-30 minutes.
10. Once the rice is ready, no matter how much broth you have left, remove from heat, add parmesan cheese, reserved two tbsp of butter, and pinch of grated nutmeg. Stir very well and add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley and reserved cheese. Enjoy!