Creamy mushroom risotto with crispy shallots

Ingredients

For the crispy fried shallots:

• 2 Large — Shallots (peeled and thinly sliced on a mandolin)
• 1/2 cup — All-purpose flour or corn starch
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 1/2 tsp. — Kosher salt

For the risotto:

• 2 tbsp. — Butter, divided
• 2 tbsp. — Olive oil, divided
• 6 – 8 oz — Maitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 — White onion, small dice
• 1 — Clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup — Arborio rice
• 3/4 cup — White Wine
• 4 cups — Vegetable stock or mushroom stock
• 2 – 3 tbsp. — Fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp. — Fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup — Cream
• 1/4 cup — Grated Pecorino cheese
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

For crispy shallots

1. Pour about 1 inch of oil into a small saucepan and heat over medium high heat. Toss the shallots in the flour/cornstarch until evenly coated, shaking off excess. When the oil reaches 350 degrees, add shallots and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes. But keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t burn. Remove from the oil, drain on paper towels, and season with salt.

For the risotto:

1. Pour the stock into a saucepan and set over low heat to warm up.
2. Add 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, and a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook for about 4-5 minutes, or until the mushrooms have softened and browned. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
3. To the same pan, add the remaining butter and olive oil and reduce heat to medium-low. Add garlic and onion and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add the arborio rice, and stir to coat all the grains with oil. Let cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, to toast the grains. 
4. Add the white wine, and stir constantly until the liquid has almost completely absorbed/evaporated.
5. Add one ladle full of the warm broth/water to the pan, and again, stir constantly until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Continue adding a lade full at a time, letting the liquid absorb between each addition, stirring anywhere from frequently.  Risotto typically takes about 25 minutes to make. If you find your broth is taking a long time to absorb into the rice, turn the heat up a little. If it’s evaporating almost immediately, turn the heat down.
6. Risotto is done when the grains have just a bit of chew to them.  You may or may not use all the broth, so be sure to check your progress. 
7. In the last few minutes of cooking, add parsley, thyme, cream, and Pecorino. Season to taste salt and pepper, and fold in the cooked mushrooms.
8. Serve and top with crispy shallots at the last moment. 

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