Butter Miso Mushroom Risotto Recipe

Serves:

A modern Japanese twist on an Italian classic. This versatile risotto can also be made with other vegetables, such as pumpkin and snow peas (mangetout).

Ingredients

1 tablespoon sesame oil
300 g (10. oz) sushi rice, rinsed
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced, white and green parts kept separate
4 tablespoons white miso paste
50 g (¾ oz) butter
400 g (14 oz) mixed Asian mushrooms, such as shiitake (stems discarded and caps sliced), shimeji and enoki
50 g (¾ oz) baby spinach leaves
Toasted sesame seeds, to serve

Method

In the slow cooker

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the rice, garlic and the white parts of the spring onions and stir for 1 minute until the rice grains are well coated. Transfer to the slow cooker.

2. Whisk the miso paste with 750 ml (26 fl oz/ 3 cups) of boiling water until dissolved, then pour into the slow cooker. Cook on high for 1¼ hours, stirring halfway through.
Melt 20 g (¾ oz) of the butter in the frying pan over medium–high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes until slightly softened.

3. Tip the mushrooms into the slow cooker, along with 185 ml (6 fl oz/¾ cup) of boiling water. Stir well, then cook for 15 minutes. Stir in the remaining butter and the spinach leaves, plus another 185 ml (6 fl oz/¾ cup) of boiling water if needed, and cook for 10–15 minutes until the spinach wilts and the rice is al dente. Check the seasoning.
Scatter with the green parts of the spring onions and toasted sesame seeds to serve.

On the stovetop

1. Melt 20 g (¾ oz) of the butter in a large, deep frying pan over medium–high heat and cook the mushrooms for 3 minutes until slightly softened. Remove and set aside.

2. Reduce the heat to medium and add the oil to the pan. Add the rice, garlic and the white parts of the spring onions and stir for 1 minute until the rice grains are well coated.

3. Whisk the miso paste with 750 ml (26 fl oz/ 3 cups) of boiling water until dissolved. Add a ladleful of this miso stock to the pan and cook until the liquid has been absorbed before adding another ladleful. Continue adding the miso stock until the rice is almost al dente.

4. Stir in the remaining butter, spinach leaves and mushrooms, plus another 185 ml (6 fl oz/. cup) of boiling water if needed, and cook for 5 minutes until the spinach wilts and the rice is al dente. Check the seasoning. Scatter with the green parts of the spring onions and toasted sesame seeds to serve.

Recipe extracted from Slow Cooking by Olivia Andrews, (£18.99, Murdoch Books) www.murdochbooks.co.uk
Photography by Steve Brown

Read the Your Food articles archive here...