**This post originally ran last year, but I made the Mushroom Risotto again today, and it was just as lovely as I remembered it, so I wanted to re-post it. And as a sidenote, this Mushroom Risotto reheats beautifully, so it’s great to take to a friend who just had a baby, or just a friend you like a lot (I delivered it to both!).
Also, I should point out the the technique used in this recipe is different than traditional risotto. It’s so easy! No babysitting the pot while you ladle in chicken stock. **
Original Post:
So Le Creuset sent me this gorgeous French Oven in the mail a few months ago, and after I jumped up and down like a little girl, I got right to cooking! I mean, this color is beautiful…it’s called Fennel.
Le Creuset asked me to take a photo of myself with the French Oven, but because no one was home except Alex, I had to do a selfie (I don’t own a tripod…blogger fail). And I got photobombed by a turtle, who happens to also be a ninja, a mutant, and a teenager. I was in a rush, so I had to just go with it.
Here’s the recipe:
Lazy Mushroom Risotto
serves 4
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
1 pound mushrooms (baby bella or crimini)
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 cup Arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 ½ cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup goat cheese, for serving
caramelized onions, for serving (recipe follows)
Preheat oven to 300°F. Rinse the mushrooms (don’t soak) and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Slice the mushrooms into bite sized pieces.
In a Le Creuset French Oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Finely dice the yellow onion and garlic, and add it to the hot oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft. Add the mushrooms to the pan, turn up the heat to medium high, stir, and cook for about 8-10 minutes or until the mushrooms are brown and the liquid has evaporated.
Add the rice and rosemary, stir well, and cook for about 3 minutes.
Turn the heat to high and add the white wine, balsamic vinegar, and chicken stock to deglaze the pan. With a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of pan to loosen any bits stuck to the bottom. Stir in the salt and pepper and bring the mixture to a boil.
Cover the French Oven with the lid and bake in the oven for 35 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the Caramelized Onions.
Top each serving with caramelized onions (recipe below) and goat cheese.
Caramelized Onions
2 large sweet onions (Vidalia is my preference)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper, to taste
Slice onion in half, and then thinly slice each half into semicircles. Heat olive oil and butter over medium heat in a Dutch oven until butter is melted. Add the onions, and cook over low to medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are very soft and sweet. If you see dark spots on the bottom of the pan, add a little water and scrape up the browned bits.
