Sluttishly Vegetarian: Smoked Garlic and Mushroom Risotto

At first glance, making risotto seems like the easiest thing in the world. After all, all you really need to do is just sit and stir a big pot of rice for twenty minutes. How hard is that? However, the road to Miss Cay mansions is littered with the carcasses of poorly made rice products, and I've lost count of the amount of times I've attempted to make risotto only for it to turn out a big undercooked gloopy mass or - even worse - an inedible burnt mush.

Over time, I've come to realise that risotto is not something that you can just throw together during the ad break of Coronation Street. It requires love, ladling and - most of all - a hell of a lot of stirring. Think of it as being a kind of culinary meditation. You can just sit there, let your rice bubble away and think of lovely things - such as pretty dresses, holidays, that cute boy whose eye you caught in the coffee shop that morning, or the finale of Lost. What you should end up with at the end is a beautiful bowl of starchy, creamy, velvety loveliness - a dish which is rich, satisfying, and elegant in its simplicity.

The key thing you need to remember when you're making risotto is to use the right kind of rice. The long grain American stuff really won't cut the mustard here, and if you're going to slave over a hot stove for twenty minutes or so making this dish, then you really might as well use the right thing. The Italians swear by Arborio or Carnaroli rice here - they realise just the right amount of starch as they are cooked and retain some firmness in their centre.

Smoked Garlic and Mushroom risotto is what I turn to when I'm looking for comfort. It's sophisticated yet simple, 100% vegetarian (so long as you use veggie parmesan), and is sure to make any foodie swoon with pleasure from the first bite. The fresh herbs cut through all of that starch whilst a solid dousing of parmesan at the end really rounds out the flavor. Whilst I used smoked garlic here because I'm a ponce, it works just as well with ordinary garlic or (if you can find some) wild garlic. All in all, this is the perfect summer supper - and just the thing to make if you're looking to impress that special someone. Although, considering the amount of garlic in this, you might want to brush your teeth before you snog their face off.


Smoked Garlic and Mushroom risotto (Serves two)

You will need:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 150g/5½oz wild mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 4 plump cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 glass white wine (about 125ml/4fl oz)
• 200g/7oz risotto rice per person
• 1 litre/1¾ pints vegetable stock
• A knob of butter
• A hand full of finely chopped fresh parsley
  
• 50g/2oz grated parmesan (be sure to use the vegetarian stuff if you can get it, as most parmesan isn't suitable for veggies) plus extra shavings to serve

Make It!
1. Heat the olive oil in a deep frying pan and sauté the onion and mushrooms until golden. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
2. Add the white wine and rice and stir well.
3. Add the stock, ladle by ladle, waiting for each addition to be absorbed by the rice before adding any more. Stir constantly. As the rice cooks the risotto will start to thicken. After about 20-30 minutes the rice should no longer be crunchy and the risotto will be creamy.
4. Continue adding more stock in this way until you are happy with the consistency (you may not need all the stock). Add the butter and parmesan and serve in bowls with extra shavings of parmesan and sprinkles of fresh parsley.