Soups and stews are popular, rustic meals in the eastern kingdom. With the plethora of farm plots and forests filled with wild vegetables, simmering a pot of vegetables in broth over the fire is a quick and easy meal for a Hylian household. In addition to vegetables, mushrooms soups are extremely popular. With the vast assortment of mushrooms that Hyrule boasts within its forests, a pot mushroom soup is equally as common as any other soup.
Being the main region of the kingdom for the cultivation of Hylian rice, it was only natural these two ideas would merge. As the cooks of Hateno began experimenting with risottos, they began toasting the rice and simmering it broth with mushrooms. Mushroom risotto was born; creamy Hylian rice flavored with the depth and richness of the Hyrule’s many mushrooms.
"The tantalizing aroma of mushrooms and butter beckons you to the table."
This version of Hateno’s risotto follows the traditional method of slowly infusing the rice with broth, but first the mushrooms are sautéed until they release and cool off their liquid. From there the rice is toasted in butter and slowly cooked with white wine and broth until it is al dente. It is finished by returning the mushrooms and stirring in butter, cheese, and some additional broth to build a nice custard to bathe the rice grains.
The end result is a creamy bowl of Hylian rice enhanced by the earthiness of Hyrulean mushrooms. It maintains the rustic nature of the mushroom soups while elevating the dish with the textures and flavors of the custard building technique. It’s a dish I would gladly enjoy on a cool evening in Hateno while watching the sun dip down into the distant forest trees along the horizon.
Ingredients
4 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
7 oz bunashimeji mushrooms, cleaned and separated
8 oz crimini mushrooms, cleaned and quartered*
1 small shallot, diced
2 cups arborio rice
¼ tsp salt
½ cup white wine
6 cups vegetable broth
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and pepper
Basil leaves, for garnish
Whole, sautéed, cremini mushrooms, for garnish
4 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
7 oz bunashimeji mushrooms, cleaned and separated
8 oz crimini mushrooms, cleaned and quartered*
1 small shallot, diced
2 cups arborio rice
¼ tsp salt
½ cup white wine
6 cups vegetable broth
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and pepper
Basil leaves, for garnish
Whole, sautéed, cremini mushrooms, for garnish
Pour the broth into a small stock pot and bring it to a simmer over medium heat and then reduce to low to maintain a simmer.
Place a pan over high heat. Once warm, add 1 tbsp of olive oil, coat the pan, and then add the mushrooms. Season the mushrooms with salt and black pepper, and then stir. Saute the mushrooms until all of the liquid has been released and then cooled off, about 5-8 minutes, stirring regularly.
Once the mushrooms are softened and all of the liquid has been reduced, reserve the mushrooms in a bowl, and return the pan to the heat. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil, coat the pan, and then add the shallots. Cook the shallots until soft, about 3-5 minutes.
Add the rice along with ¼ tsp of salt and stir to coat the rice grains evenly with oil. Sauté the rice for a minute or two to lightly toast it. The rice should turn opaque, but do not let it brown or burn.
Add the white wine, stir, and allow it to cook until the wine just about completely cooks off about 2 minutes.
Turn the heat down to medium-low, and start adding the broth a half cup at a time (I usually use a ladle). Stir frequently as the broth cooks off. Do not add the next ½ cup of broth until the prior is almost completely cooked off. Do not allow the rice to burn through this process. Keep stirring. As the rice cooks it should begin to release starch and become a little creamy.
Once the rice is al dente (firm, but not undercooked), add one more ladleful of broth (or another ¼ to ½ cup) of the stock, and stir it into the rice. Immediately remove the pan from the heat (don’t let the stock cook off this time), and stir the reserved mushrooms into the rice, fully incorporating them. Add 4 tbsp of butter into the rice, and stir until it has fully melted. Lastly, add the parmesan cheese, one handful at a time, stirring until it has completely melted. Repeat this until the cheese has been fully added and melted into the risotto. Salt to taste.
Add one last ladle of warm broth into the risotto and stir to incorporate it. At this point the rice should be fairly loose and creamy with custard visible around the rice and salmon. The risotto is ready.
Serve immediately in a shallow bowl and garnish with a whole crimini mushroom and basil leaves.
Note: If you slice off the base of the bunashimeji mushrooms just above the common joint of all the mushrooms, they should all individually separate.
Learn more about the Mushroom Risotto dish from Breath of the Wild at Zelda Dungeon.