Mushroom Farro Risotto Recipes

FARRO WITH MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Place the farro in a bowl, and pour on enough hot water to cover by an inch. Let soak while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Drain.
• Place the dried mushrooms in a large Pyrex measuring cup or bowl, and pour in 2 cups boiling water. Let sit 30 minutes.
• Drain the mushrooms through a strainer set over a bowl and lined with cheesecloth or a paper towel. Squeeze the mushrooms over the strainer, then rinse in several changes of water to remove grit. Chop coarsely if the pieces are large and set aside. Add the broth from the mushrooms to the stock. You should have 6 cups (add water if necessary). Place in a saucepan, and bring to a simmer. Season with salt to taste.
• Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Add the onion. Cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, about three minutes. Add the fresh mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until they begin to soften and sweat. Add salt to taste, the garlic and rosemary. Continue to cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are tender, about five minutes. Add the farro and reconstituted dried mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until the grains of farro are separate and beginning to crackle, about two minutes. Stir in the wine and cook, stirring until the wine has been absorbed. Add all but about 1 cup of the stock, and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer 50 minutes or until the farro is tender; some of the grains will be beginning to splay. Remove the lid, and stir vigorously from time to time. Taste and adjust seasoning. There should be some liquid remaining in the pot but not too much. If the farro is submerged in stock, raise the heat and cook until there is just enough to moisten the grains, like a sauce. If there is not, stir in the remaining stock. If not serving right away, cover and let stand. Just before serving, bring back to a simmer, add the Parmesan, parsley and pepper, and stir together. Remove from the heat and serve.

MUSHROOM FARRO RISOTTO

Steps:

• Place the farro in a bowl, and pour on enough hot water to cover by an inch. Let soak according to package instructions (some types of farro must be soaked overnight).
• Place the dried mushrooms in a large bowl. Cover with 2 cups boiling water. Let sit 30 minutes.
• Drain the mushrooms through a strainer set over a bowl and lined with a paper towel. Squeeze the mushrooms over the strainer, then rinse in several changes of water to remove grit. Chop coarsely. Set aside.
• Add the broth from the mushrooms to the stock. You should have 6 cups (add water if necessary). Place in a saucepan, and bring to a simmer. Salt to taste.
• Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onion. Cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, about three minutes.
• Add the fresh mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until they begin to soften and sweat. Add salt to taste, garlic and rosemary. Continue to cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are tender, about five minutes.
• Add the farro and dried mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until the grains of farro are separate and beginning to crackle, about two minutes.
• Stir in the wine and cook, stirring until the wine has been absorbed.
• Add all but about 1 cup of the stock, and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer until the farro is tender, about 50 minutes. Remove the lid, and stir vigorously from time to time. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• There should be some liquid remaining in the pot but not too much. If the farro is submerged in stock, raise the heat and cook until there is just enough to moisten the grains, like a sauce. If there is not, stir in the remaining stock. Add the Parmesan, parsley and fresh ground pepper to taste, and stir together. Remove from the heat and serve.

FARRO RISOTTO

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together the farro and 4 cups of water. Soak for 30 minutes and drain well.
• Heat the broth in a small saucepan and keep warm over low heat.
• In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the oil and butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the drained farro and cook, stirring constantly until toasted, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and stir constantly until evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the hot broth and stir constantly until completely absorbed. Continue adding the remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, until the farro is creamy and cooked through, about 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the currants, pine nuts, feta cheese, and the remaining salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and serve.
• Cook's Note: To toast the pine nuts, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven until lightly toasted, about 6 to 8 minutes. Cool completely before using.

FARRO RISOTTO WITH WILD MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• For mushrooms: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add half the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and tender, about 7 minutes. Season with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper and transfer to a bowl. Repeat for remaining mushrooms. Keep warm until ready to serve.
• For stock: Combine stock ingredients in a 4-quart saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Reduce heat to the lowest setting to keep stock hot but not evaporating.
• For risotto: In another 4-quart pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until onion is translucent, about 2 minutes. Add farro and cook, stirring, until just starting to turn translucent (farro will start making a clicking sound), 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce heat if onion begins to brown.
• Pour wine into farro and onion mixture and cook, stirring, just until absorbed (farro should still be wet and glistening, not dry). Using a ladle, add 1/2 cup hot stock to the farro. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon, at a moderate speed, until about three-quarters of the liquid is absorbed (the mixture should be thick enough to hold a trail behind the spoon). Continue adding stock 1/2 cup at a time and stirring frequently until farro is tender but still firm to the bite and the liquid is creamy in consistency. As farro nears doneness, watch carefully and add smaller amounts of liquid to make sure it doesn't overcook (you may not need to use all the broth). The process should take 30 to 35 minutes total.
• For finishing: Stir in butter until completely melted (this is called mounting), then stir in cheese and season with salt. Serve topped with mushrooms, parsley, and pepper, and serve immediately.