Mushroom Risotto

3 pounds fresh mushrooms

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt, pepper

2 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, finely diced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 cup Arborio rice

2 tablespoons grated Italian cheese (Parmesan, Asiago, and/or Lagorai)

Salt, pepper

Preheat the over to 350 degrees. Clean the mushrooms and chop off the stems. Use the stem to make a mushroom stock. Slice the mushrooms into bite size pieces. Toss with the olive oil and salt and pepper. Place the mushrooms in a single layer on a sheet pan and roast for 20 - 30 minutes until they start to caramelize.

Set aside about 3 cups of the mushroom stock.

Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Once it has melted, add the onions. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until the onions soften. Add the garlic, stirring constantly until it becomes fragrant, less than a minute. Add the rice and stir constantly for 1-2 minutes. Add about 1/2 cup of the stock, stirring constantly, until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed. Continue this process of adding 1/2 cup of stock, stirring constantly, and adding more when most of the liquid has been absorbed. Check for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed. When the risotto is about 80% finished, add 1 1/2 cups of the roasted mushrooms. Continue adding stock as needed. When you are ready to serve, garnish with the cheese.

Notes

You can use any variety/varieties of mushrooms for this recipe. I am particularly fond of using a mixture of creminis, shiitakes, oyster, and king oyster mushrooms.
You can roast the mushrooms and make the stock ahead of time and freeze those components. Having the stock made and mushrooms roasted makes this risotto an easy weeknight meal.