Pinot Noir Pairing: Wild Mushroom Risotto Recipe

Courtesy of Natalie Coughlin Hall of Gaderian Wines This Wild Mushroom Risotto recipe will pair beautifully with Gaderian Wines 2018 Carneros Pinot Noir. The earthy mushrooms are a perfect match for the earthiness of the Pinot while the cooked and fresh thyme bring out the savory herbaceous of the wine. This recipe can easily be made vegetarian by using vegetarian stock.

Wild Mushroom Risotto Recipe

Ingredients

• olive oil
• 1 lb chopped wild mushrooms (try oyster mushrooms)
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups arborio rice
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 quart chicken stock (use veggie stock if you wish)
• 1 T minced thyme
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• 2 T butter
• salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1. Heat 4 tablespoons olive oil in the base of a heavy bottomed pot over high heat. Add 1 pound chopped, fresh wild mushrooms (I used oyster mushrooms), season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until excess moisture has evaporated and mushrooms are well browned, about 8 minutes.
2. Add 1 diced onion and 4 cloves minced garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are softened and aromatic, about 4 minutes. Add 2 cups arborio rice and cook, stirring, until rice is evenly coated in oil and toasted but not browned, 3 to 4 minutes. (Rice grains should start to look like tiny ice cubes: translucent around the edges and cloudy in the center.) Add 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add 3/4 cup dry white wine and cook, stirring, until raw alcohol smell has cooked off and wine has almost fully evaporated, about 2 minutes. Scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pot.
4. Add 1 ladle of warm chicken stock and stir constantly. When the liquid is absorbed add another ladleful. Repeat until 1 quart of chicken stock is absorbed into the risotto. Add 1 tablespoon minced thyme, 1 cup of Parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons of butter. Turn off the heat and cover the pot. Let rest for five minutes.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately on hot plates, passing extra cheese at the table.