Bacon and Wild Mushroom Risotto with Baby Spinach |
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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes |
Ready In: 0 Minutes Servings: 5 |
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Crisp bacon brings crunchy texture and smoky flavor to this creamy rice dish that's packed with three types of mushrooms, baby spinach, and Asiago cheese. Ingredients:
4 cups homemade chicken stock |
6 bacon slices, chopped |
1 cup chopped shallots |
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil |
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme |
4 garlic cloves, minced |
4 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced |
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced |
4 ounces oyster mushrooms, sliced |
1 cup uncooked carnaroli or arborio rice or other medium-grain rice |
1/3 cup madeira wine or dry sherry |
4 cups baby spinach |
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh asiago cheese |
1/2 teaspoon salt |
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper |
Directions:
1. Bring Homemade Chicken Stock to a simmer in a small saucepan (do not boil); keep warm over low heat.
2. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add bacon to pan; cook 8 minutes or until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon. Add shallots, oil, thyme, and garlic to drippings in pan; cook 6 minutes or until shallots are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in mushrooms; cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add rice, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in Madeira; cook 1 minute or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 cup stock; cook 4 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add remaining stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of stock is absorbed before adding the next (about 25 minutes total). Stir in spinach; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in cheese, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with bacon.
3. Wine note: A light-bodied pinot noir can echo the smoky and earthy flavors of Bacon and Wild Mushroom Risotto with Baby Spinach, without overpowering the dish as a bigger red wine might. Redtree Pinot Noir 2008 ($8), from California, shows this grape's aromatic earthiness, along with snappy, tart berry fruit that provides a palate-cleansing contrast to the creamy texture of this dish. —Jeffery Lindenmuth
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