um risotto herege... { an heretic mushroom risotto }

(finally back from the thesis ermitage!)

There is something that I really like to cook but rarely take pictures of.

Usually I have no time to take nice pictures of it, because I really want it to be served right away.
And, truth to be told, you just need the perfect plating and light to shoot this - and this is something quite not attainable when you are just in a hurry to put it on the table.

I'm talking about risotto.

Today the sunlight was just right, so I had to shoot it and bring the recipe here. This is a recipe that changes all the time... I usually use white wine, preferably sparkling one, and I usually use other kinds of cheese, I change the seasonings and herbs all the time, so I just brought the exact (odd) recipe I came up with today - it is really odd, you'll see...

Because today was a lazy holiday day, sleeping in, doing nothing, and eating a bowl of this in a sunny balcony suited it just perfectly.

Risotto de Cogumelos (Herege)

- 125g de arroz carolino

- azeite

- 3 dentes de alho bem picados

- coentros, manjericão, rosmaninho, tomilho (secos)

- mistura de pimentas, sal

- 250g de cogumelos brancos, laminados

- 1 caldo de carne seco

- 300ml de água com gás

- água normal

- 100g de queijo edamer e tilsiter ralados

- folhas de manjericão fresco

1) Numa panela cerâmica larga, refogar o alho e os temperos em azeite,

2) Juntar os cogumelos, metade do caldo e deixar cozinhar até estarem tenros, reservar separadamente os cogumelos e o caldo resultante,

3) Levar de novo a panela ao lume com azeite e juntar o arroz e sal, mexer bem,

4) Juntar, aos poucos, o caldo, deixando absorver e mexendo sempre,

5) Continuar com a água com gás e por fim com água normal, até o arroz estar cozinhado,

6) Retirar do lume e incorporar bem o queijo ralado,

7) Servir imediatamente, finalizando no prato com um pouco de queijo ralado e folhas de manjericão.

(Heretic) Mushroom Risotto

-125g carolino rice

- olive oil

- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

- cilantro, basil, rosemary, thyme (dried)

- mixed peppers, salt

- 250g white mushrooms, sliced

- 1 cube chicken stock

- 300ml gas water

- normal water

- 100g edamer and tilsiter cheese, grated

- fresh basil leaves

1) In a deep ceramic saucepan, sautée the garlic and seasonings in olive oil,

2) Add the mushrooms and the stock and let cook until tender, set aside the mushrooms and their stock sepparately,

3) Take the pan to the stove top again with olive oil and the rice, stirring,

4) Add, a bit at the time, the mushroom stock, letting the rice absorb it well everytime while stirring,

5) Continue with the gas water, and finally with normal water, until the rice is cooked,

6) Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese,

7) Serve immediately, topping with a little extra cheese and the basil leaves.