Chef Brad Steelman's Mushroom Risotto Plus How Fast Can YOU Type?

I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that I’m posting Chef Brad Steelman’s recipe for mushroom risotto. It is phenomenal.

The bad news is that it took me so long to type the recipe from the copy we were given, that I decided to take a typing test to see how bad I really was. Apparently, I type 61 words per minute, but with an accuracy of 82% which brought it down to 50 words per minute. You can be sure, though, however s…l…o…w…l…y I typed the Chef’s recipe, it is (now) 100% accurate.

Note that this risotto is cooked in water. Chef Steelman said you can add a bit of stock at the end. BTW, 2 ounces is 4 tablespoons or ¼ cup. And don’t worry if you don’t have porcini oil. Just substitute truffle oil. Oh, you don’t have that either…use a really good extra virgin olive oil for finishing the risotto. And plain butter is better than no (truffle) butter at the end of the mushroom recipe.

Chef Brad Steelman's Mushroom Risotto
(posted with his permission)



2 oz. extra virgin olive oil
½ small white onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and pepper
1 lb. Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
2 quarts boiling water
2 oz. butter
½ cup grated Parmigiana Reggiano cheese
½ cup mascarpone cheese
fresh ground black pepper
porcini oil for drizzling on at the end

Place the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Add the onion and the garlic.
Season with salt and pepper.
Cook until the onion is translucent.
Add the rice and stir until each grain has been coated with the oil.
Add the wine and stir until it has been absorbed.
Begin adding the boiling water incrementally, one cup at a time, to the rice and stir until the liquid has been absorbed. (Do not over saturate the rice.)
Continue adding the water and seasoning to the rice as you stir. (The rice should become creamy.)
When the rice is almost “al Dente” (about 20-25 minutes), add the mushrooms and their cooking juices.
Add the two cheeses and adjust seasoning.
Drizzle with porcini oil.
Sprinkle with additional Parmigianino Reggiano.

Instructions for preparing the mushrooms –
2 lbs. cleaned seasonal mushrooms
2 oz. olive oil
1 shallot, minced
2 sprigs fresh thyme
½ cup chicken stock
2 oz. truffle butter (optional)

Select mushrooms from the market that are firm and free from defects. (Clean the mushrooms carefully.)
Pour the olive oil into a large sauté pan over high heat.
Add the mushrooms, evenly spreading them out across the bottom of the entire pan.
Do not stir until the mushrooms reach a rich brown color on one side
Add the shallot and thyme then stir.
When the mushrooms become evenly brown, reduce the heat and add the stock.
Allow the stock to reduce slightly, then swirl in the truffle butter, allowing it to emulsify into the liquid.
Season with salt and pepper.