Risotto with Peas and Mushrooms

10/27/2008

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

4 tablespoons butter

5 cups or more chicken broth, canned or homemade

2 cups arborio rice

Salt and pepper to taste

cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced

cup heavy cream

Melt butter in 4-to-5-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring regularly. Add onion and cook, continuing to stir until it turns soft and translucent. Turn heat down if onion starts to brown. Meanwhile, pour chicken broth into a separate saucepan, set over medium heat, and bring to a gentle simmer. Adjust heat to maintain simmer. Once onion is soft, add the rice and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 3 minutes. Adjust heat as necessary so the rice does not turn brown.

Using a ladle scoop up about cup broth. Pour it in the pan with the rice, stirring constantly with a spoon. After the first addition of broth, the rice mixture will look soupy. As the rice cooks, stir, making sure you scrape along the bottom of the pan so it does not stick. Bubbles will pop up in the liquid from time to time. If it bubbles more vigorously than this, turn heat to medium-low. When most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice looks a bit dry, add another ladle of broth and stir constantly, as before.

Continue to add broth in -cup batches and stir rice until you have used most of the broth, about 20 minutes. Rice should be tender without being mushy. Add peas, mushrooms, Parmesan cheese, and cream to mixture. Stir about 3 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

Source: USA Rice Federation