When deciding what to cook for Valentine’s Day (or, really, any special occasion), it seems like a lot of the time and effort goes into the entrees and the desserts. Of course, you need a perfectly-grilled steak, lobster tail and ooey, gooey chocolate lava cake for a romantic dinner at home. But when it comes to what to serve alongside that surf and turf, well, a lot of us just throw some baked potatoes in the oven and call it a day. If you want to make every part of your dinner plate a wonder, whip up a batch of mushroom risotto.
Risotto, a delicious rice dish that originated in Italy, is a notoriously laborious dish to make. This isn’t because there are dozens of ingredients that are hard to prep or because complicated techniques are involved during the cooking process.
No, risotto is considered difficult because it takes a lot of time and a lot of stirring. But the end result is a luxurious, creamy rice dish that is fragrant with the flavors of wine, butter and Parmesan, so trust us: all that time-consuming stirring is worth it.
To keep things moving along as quickly as possible, keep your broth simmering on the stove next to your risotto. Adding lukewarm or cold broth would work, but the dish will take way longer to cook.
There are a million mushroom risotto recipes out there, but what gives this one such a luxurious texture and makes it so special is whipped cream. No, not the sweet stuff you put on an ice cream sundae, but rather plain cream that is whipped just until it reaches soft peaks. The whipped cream is folded in at the very end to push the risotto into decadent territory.
Like many dishes for special occasions, the secret to a great risotto is in using high-quality ingredients. This is no time to skimp. For this mushroom risotto, don’t just use any ol' wine and a can of shakable Parmesan cheese. Splurge a bit for nice, dry and crisp white wine (like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio) and grate your own Parmesan from a good-quality block of cheese. It’s also important to use a combination of earthy mushrooms for the topping. We like oyster, chanterelle or maitake. Your everyday white button mushrooms just won’t cut it.
This mushroom risotto makes a great side for a simply seasoned but well prepared protein, like lamb shanks, shrimp or prime rib. But it’s also a great vegetarian-friendly entree for two and pairs well with a simple salad. Not sure what else to pair with your risotto this weekend? Consider our 25 best recipes for Valentine’s Day at home.
Creamy Mushroom Risotto Recipe
Recipe by Jessica Chou
Ingredients
For the Mushroom Topping
