Hiking and Food (part 3b)

The preceding farfalle was followed up by a mushroom risotto. This is the "easy" version (since we're in hiking mode.)

At a future date, the CC will publish a full version (in which you make your own mushroom broth.)

It goes without saying that there's just no comparison.

---

"Simple" Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients

3 shallots (diced real fine)
2-3 leeks (diced fine, mostly white parts but some green too.)
a variety of mushrooms (button,crimini,shiitake diced -- they will shrink!)
2-3 cups arborio rice
3-4 cups broth (read below if you use commercial broth!)
butter
olive oil
salt and pepper

Recipe

Heat one burner, and keep the broth on a simmer. (I skimmed the broth, you may want to do the same.)

Heat the olive oil, and fry the shallots and the leeks. When they are light golden, add the rice, and stir so that the arborio is liberally coated with olive oil. Fry for 30 seconds or so.

Add the mushrooms, and fry for 3 minutes or so. The mushrooms should give off copious amounts of liquid. Add the salt and pepper.

Now comes the hard part.

Add in a ladeleful of the hot broth, and stir. As the rice absorbs the liquid, keep adding more ladlefuls, and stirring.

The rice should be solid (and lightly sticky) but not "hard".

Serve warm.

---

In retrospect, even while going hiking, I should've bought some "dried porcinis" (the reconstituted broth would be divine!), and some "parmigiano reggiano".

The CC wishes to apologize to his friends, and hangs his head in shame.