The first thought, that’s probably come to your mind is: “Why The Best Mushroom potato Risotto?”.
Well, as you might know, I absolutely loveeeee Risotto. Any kind of Risotto, to be honest. As a side, as a main, as a starter. With or without meat or fish. I simply love it. And I cook it a lot. So what happened to “classic” Risotto? Well, it so happened, that between lockdowns, I spent 3 weeks in Milan, last autumn. Historically, Milan is world-famous for their Risotto Milanese and it was my great desire to go out, eat it & most of all, bother a chef into showing me how it’s done properly – but then the Rona happened….
So, instead, I let myself be inspired, as much as possible by my surroundings. Looking into restaurants, through their closed doors, strolling down the streets, peaking at menus, I might’ve tasted & cooked “at home”. There was that one day, when I had everything to make a great vegetable Risotto – apart from Risotto rice. What a bummer!!! Nevertheless, Italian cuisine is about taking basic ingredients & highlighting their amazing natural flavour, without overpowering it with too many spices and I had potatoes at home. Potatoes, similar to rice, have quite a high starch content. So I wondered, what would happen, if I just cut the potatoes into teeny tiny squares & cooked them the exact way, that I would cook a classic Risotto.
One thing led to another & The Best Mushroom Potato Risotto was born!! Below you can have a look at my very first try (& I actually believe it was so spontaneous & so improvised, that it was the best I’ve ever made!).
Recipe Inspiration
Now, from my first try in Milan to the recipe, you’ll find below, there were another few tries in-between. I also figured, that it’d be a great dish to bring some much needed variety to the winter season. If you’re like me & you’re trying to mainly eat seasonal and regional products, you’ll be bored come December. So, I’ve thought about the basic winter veggies & how they could be combined into something a little more exciting & came up with a mix of root vegetables as a base. Different types of cabbages as the actual “veggie component” & mushrooms as an umami-packed topping.
I really, really hope, you’ll love this dish as much as I do. I am looking forward to your reactions & comments to it. Possible substitutions can be found below the recipe!! ✌🏻
The Recipe: The Best Mushroom Potato Risotto
Potato Risotto with cabbage, kale & mushrooms
Ingredients
- 6 medium potatoes
- 1 yellow beetroot
- 1 beetroot
- 1 large carrot
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 red onion alternative: 1-2 shallots
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/8 red cabbage
- 6 leaves kale
- 1 handful flower sprouts
- 6-7 king oyster mushrooms
- 50 g parmesan cheese vegan option: nutritional yeast
Liquids
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 75 ml tequila or vodka or white wine
- 300 ml vegetable broth
- 4-5 tbsp aceto balsamico
Spices & herbs
- salt & pepper to season
- pinch freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes
- 2 twigs rosemary
- 3-4 cloves
Instructions
- For this specific version of the recipe, I would recommend you to start by cutting everything & placing it into small bowls. The potatoes, beets & carrots should be the same size and should be cut into small squares. The red cabbage should be cut into slices, the kale roughly chopped & the flower sporuts halfed. The onion, garlic & celery should be finely chopped & the mushrooms cut into slices.
- While you're preparing for cooking, heat the broth, measure the tequile (or alcohol of your choice) and get out 2 pans & 2 pots.
Risotto
- You start preparing this risotto as you would any risotto, by adding some olive oil & butter to a large pot & sauteeing first onions, then garlic & celery. Next, you add the beets & carrots. After 2-3 minutes, you can add the potatoes. Sautee for another ~3 minutes, then add your rosemary & the tequila.
- Once the tequila has evaporated, add your first ~150-200 ml broth, stir the risotto. Let it simmer on low heat & make sure to stir it regularly. As soon, as the liquid reduces, add more broth, one ladle at a time.
- It should take the beets, carrots & potatoes around 15-20 minutes to cook. Try them, but make sure, they're not getting too soft. Once done, add some butter & parmesan, season with salt, pepper & nutmeg. Stir & set aside, with the lid on, for 2-3 minutes.
Cabbage & Mushrooms
- While the risotto is simmering, place a pan on the stove & heat it to medium heat. Add some olive oil, then the red cabbage. Add the cloves & let it cook for a couple of minutes, until it starts getting soft. Next, add the balsamico vinegar & let it reduce.
- Move the red cabbage to one side of the pan & add the kale & brussle sprouts to the other. Season everything with salt & pepper & cook for roughly 4-5 minutes.
- Heat a pan to high heat, add some olive oil, butter, rosemary & 1 garlic clove. Then add the mushrooms & cook on high heat until they're getting some colour. Add some chili flakes & cook for another minute.
Finishing
- To serve, first add the risotto on a plate, then add some cabbage & top with mushrooms. Add some freshly grated parmesan & a sprinkle of freshly ground pepper & enjoy.
Substitutions & other ideas
My first try of a Potato Risotto was at the beginning of October, in Milan. At the time, courgette and other veggies were still in season, which made a great combination. I used potatos, carrots, tomatoes & courgette & cooked it all in one pot. This makes the dish a one-pot dish, great for hectic & short evenings, when you don’t feel like cleaning an entire kitchen’s equipment. 😂
If you want to go vegan, you can just omit the parmesan cheese or replace it with vegan hard cheese. What it does, is that it brings a little umami kick & some creaminess to the dish, but it’ll be just as good without (I’ve tried it!!).
If you’re not drinking alcohol, or you simply don’t want to use tequila, just omit or change to your liking. Possible substitutions may include sparkling wine, champagne, gin,… whatever floats your boat, really!
There are just a few more things to say…
First, of all, I really hope you enjoyed this recipe & I hope you’ll make it soon. If you do, please let me know how it goes. 😍😍
Also, as you might know, I am raising some money for a good & professional food processor. If you want, you can support me here.
Happy cooking,
Carolin 💕
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