Miso Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp of butter
• Half a yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 cups of arborio rice, or any short-grained rice
• 1 lb of chopped mushrooms, I used black pearl oyster
• 1 cup of sake, or any dry white wine
• 7-8 cups of chicken broth
• 3 tbsp of white miso, divided
• Green onions, for garnish

Directions

1. Heat your chicken broth in a separate pot until boiling, and then reduce to a simmer so it stays hot. Dissolve two tablespoons of miso into the chicken broth.
2. Place a large, heavy bottomed pot (I used my 5 ½ qt dutch oven) on medium heat. Add in your chopped mushrooms with a little bit of oil and salt. When the mushrooms are golden and some of the moisture is cooked out, add in the butter and little olive oil.
3. When the butter is melted, add in your onion, garlic, and the last tablespoon of miso, then cook until translucent.
4. Add in the rice and increase the heat to medium high. Cook until golden and a bit see through around the edges.
5. Deglaze with the white wine, stirring constantly until the wine is almost absorbed.
6. Add in one ladle of the miso/chicken broth mixture at a time, stirring until the broth is almost absorbed. Then add another ladle until the chicken broth is used up or until the rice is cooked to your desired texture. During this step, it’s very important to keep stirring! The stirring is what agitates the starches in the rice and creates the creamy texture that risotto is so well known for, as well as keeping it from sticking.
7. Salt to taste, garnish with green onion, and serve! This risotto is a great accompaniment for any Asian style entree, or would go especially well with chicken or fish. I served mine with seared salmon!