Brie and Mushroom risotto

The creamy texture of the melted cheese and hints of garlic, onion and mushroom combine into a delectable dish in this brie and mushroom risotto. It is one of my favourite vegetarian recipes.

Before we get into the recipe, I want to explain my rationale for using chestnut mushrooms. As they have less water content, they don’t shrink as much as standard button mushrooms. I feel this adds extra bite and flavour to the recipe, especially as the mushrooms are a key ingredient. You want to taste them, rather than just bulk out the risotto. This said, I’m sure you could use any mushrooms you choose. But I would highly recommend giving chestnut mushrooms a try.

Brie and mushroom risotto

You will need:

• 200-250g of chestnut mushrooms
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• A knob of butter
• 150g risotto rice
• 1 litre of vegetable stock
• 200g brie

What to do:

1.  Firstly, chop the onion into small pieces and if using stock cubes, make your vegetable stock. Also peel your garlic. Crush your garlic if you can, or cut into small pieces.
2. Heat the knob of butter in a pan over a medium heat. I tend to use my wok to cook this dish but that is just my personal choice (and a bit strange I know!). The best advice would be to use something non-stick. Risotto does have a habit of clinging onto pans if you’re not careful.
3. Once the butter is melted add the onions and garlic. Stir for several minutes until the onions are translucent. Tip in your risotto rice. Give it a good stir to mix it thoroughly with the butter, onion and garlic.
4. Add half of the stock to the rice and stir. Turn the heat to a level where the stock gently bubbles away but isn’t boiling furiously. Add the rest of the stock in over the next 20 minutes, topping up whenever the rice starts to dry out. As mentioned earlier, be careful not to let it stick.
5. While the risotto is cooking away, slice your mushrooms and cut the brie into approximately 1 inch long pieces.
6. After around 20-25 minutes, the risotto rice should be almost cooked. Give it a taste to check – it will be firm but not feel hard in the centre. When you feel there are only a few minutes to go, add the mushrooms to the risotto and stir through. Keep the heat on for a few minutes.
7. Turn the heat off and stir the brie into the risotto. The brie will melt slightly into the warm rice.
8. Serve up into two bowls and tuck in.

The brie and mushroom risotto pairs perfectly with a chilled, crisp white wine; a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc would always be our top pick.