Mushroom Farro Risotto
This hearty risotto from Little River Inn features a soubise (onion sauce), gremolata (a lemon-garlic garnish), and works best with Italian pearled farro. You can use locally foraged or store-bought chanterelles.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Italian pearled farro
- 1 cup chanterelle mushrooms
Soubise
- 2 cups shallots rough chopped
- 1/4 lb butter unsalted
- 1 cup white wine
- 4 cups heavy cream
- 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 1/2 bunch thyme fresh
- Salt to taste
Gremolata
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs toasted
- 1 lemon zested
- 1 clove garlic micro-planed
- 1/2 bunch thyme finely chopped
- 1/2 bunch parsely finely chopped
Instructions
Cook the farro
- Fill a large pasta pot with salted water and bring to a boil at high heat.
- Once at a boil, pour 2 cups of Italian pearled farro in and cook for about 12 minutes, or until farro is al dente.
- Pour into a colander to drain off water.
Make the gremolata
- In a small mixing bowl combine the bread crumbs, lemon zest, micro-planed garlic, thyme and parsely.
- Mix all ingredients together until well-blended and set aside.
Make the soubise
- Place all ingredients in an oven-safe dish, cover tightly with foil, then roast in 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes until shallots are soft and have a slightly golden caramelization.
- Pour this mixture into a medium size pot and add heavy cream and thyme
- Bring this mixture up to a simmer and cook on medium-low for 30 minutes.
- Take out the thyme sprigs then pour the contents of the pot into a blender and blend on high until smooth. Add the sherry vinegar, and blend some more.
- Taste and season with salt accordingly.
Roast the mushrooms
- Brush dirt off the mushrooms, and place on a rack and allow excess moisture to dry.
- Add 2 tbsp of vegetable oil to a large saute pan on high heat, and heat until very hot (to its smoke point)
- Add mushrooms to the pan, being careful not to overcrowd them.
- Allow mushrooms to roast for 60-90 seconds without moving or touching them.
- Turn mushrooms over and sear the other side for 60-90 seconds.
- Turn the heat off and add 2 tbsp of butter. Swirl the butter and mushrooms around the pan and allow the residual heat to melt and baste the mushrooms.
Assemble all the pieces
- Add about 6 oz of the soubise to a sauté pan on medium-high heat.
- Once it starts to bubble a bit, add a couple of mushrooms and the cooked farro.
- Allow the mixture to reduce a bit.
- Once the sauce has reduced enough to coat the farro, turn off the heat and add 2 tbsp of butter, stirring constantly.
- Season with salt to taste.
- Spoon desired amount of risotto into pasta bowl, garnish with a few butter-roasted mushrooms.
- Sprinkle with the gremolata.