Cooking lessons from Brooks Brothers
Mushroom risotto from an unlikely source.
Growing up, my mom didn’t let me in the kitchen. She loved (and still loves, I think) to cook, but my brothers and I were never allowed to have any hand in the meal prep process. Until I got to college, I had maybe made 10 meals by myself in my entire life, and half were probably made by using leftovers.
By time I moved into a college apartment, with a kitchen, I started to get into cooking. I read a ton of recipes, grocery shopped for myself, and just played around. At one point, I saw an article on the (now defunct) Brooks Brothers blog on the importance of being able to cook an impressive date meal. In this case, the recipe was for mushroom risotto. I made it for my now wife, and since then, we’ve cooked it several times a year. It’s terrific.
The original recipe, try as I might to find it, is lost in the ether of the internet, but here it is in a simplified, no-recipe, version.
In a small sauce pan, add about 4 cups of chicken stock and a bag of dried mushrooms and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Chop a bunch of garlic and onions and sauté them in large, nonstick pan (I use something like this) with a slug of olive oil. As that begins to soften and get aromatic, pour about 3 handfuls of rice (arborio is best, but any short or medium grain will do) into the mix and stir, allowing the rice to slightly toast and absorb some of the oils. As the rice starts to get a bit translucent, squeeze in the about one lemon’s worth of juice and pour in a hefty slug of white wine (Sauvignon Blanc is good, but so is Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay. I think the original recipe called for dry vermouth, but I’ve never used it). Let that almost fully reduce.
Over the next 20-30 minutes, add a few ladles of the mushroom/chicken stock to the risotto, stirring occasionally. Once the rice is almost fully softened, and most of the stock has evaporated, scoop out the now rehydrated mushrooms, and roughly chop. Add these to the risotto, along with any remaining stock as needed, and cook until the rice is just about fully see through (there will be a very small white dot in the center). You can also taste it to see if the texture is where you want it. Generously grate some fresh parm on top, and enjoy.
Christine and I typically eat this with pan-seared scallops, but it also goes well with chicken, pork chops, or really anything. I’d pair it with a cold beer, but white wine is a more classic combo. The nice thing about this recipe is it’s very forgiving, so feel free to add or subtract as your pantry allows.
There you have it. A meal you can cook on date night, now and for the next ten years. Enjoy the weekend, dudes.