Chia and Chocolate: My Amazing Mushroom Risotto

People in my closest circle know that mushroom risotto is my signature dish. Not gonna lie, it is pretty epic. And the best thing is, it's so simple and easy to make. It might take a while to cook, but the execution is so simple!

A lot of people think making a risotto is difficult. I'm not quite sure why this is. A misconception perhaps, maybe one too many rubbish risottos in half-decent Italian restaurants.

To make my epic mushroom risotto for two people, you will need:

100g chestnut mushrooms

100g exotic or wild mushrooms (some supermarkets sell these in packs, if they're loose look for chanterelles, morels fresh porcini (cep) or portobello)

500g vegetable stock in boiling water

75ml white wine

150g arborio rice

1 medium onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, crushed

parmesan or creme fraiche to serve

knob of butter

olive oil

Firstly, wipe all mushrooms with a damp kitchen towel and slice.
Then in a large sauce pan, heat the butter and oil over a medium heat and cook the onion until soft. Add the crushed garlic and cook for about one more minute. Then add the washed and sliced mushrooms.

Once cooked, add the rice and cook for about a minute or two until it looks translucent. THIS PART IS IMPORTANT!! It helps the rice to soak up the liquid better.

Then add the wine and stir the rice frequently.

When that has been soaked up by the rice, add one ladle of stock to the pan and stir until it has been absorbed. Then continue this process adding only a ladle at a time once it has been absorbed. Make sure you stay by the pan and stir all the time. Stirring helps the rice to soak up all the liquid, so your risotto will be nice and soft at the end. This will take time, about 30 to 40 minutes. You should notice at the end the rice becoming bulkier and it becoming more difficult to stir.