A new crop of Russula mushrooms

With all the rain we’ve been having, a new crop of these delicious, big, white Russula Leucopaxillus came in and Rose and I decided to make a mushroom risotto.

It’s been awhile since we’ve made risotto, but it’s easy (if demanding of attention), and it goes well with lots of different things. This combination was so good, though, that we had it for three nights straight!

Russula  Leucopaxillus albissimus Risotto

2 Tbsp butter, times two
1 onion, chopped
6 cups chicken stock
2 cups Italian rice
½ cup of white wine
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
~1 lb mushrooms
salt and pepper to taste

A panful of Russula mushrooms sauteing.

Saute the onions in the butter until they are translucent. Dump in the rice and stir until you see a white dot in the middle of each grain. This takes 3-5 minutes. Stir in the white wine, and continue stirring as it is absorbed so the rice doesn’t stick (this is the demanding aspect of risotto—it loves attention). When that is absorbed, do the same with the chicken stock one cup at a time. Near the end, stop cooking just short of a tender grain of rice. You are seeking a little unsoft firmness in the grains in the final dish, and it will soften a little more after you take it off the heat. At this point, fold in the parmesan cheese and add some pepper (the cheese is salty enough that you may not need to add any salt).

Mushroom-topped risotto (with the golden, buttery sauteed mushroom juice visible)

At the same time that you are doing all the above, cut up and saute the mushrooms in a separate pan in a tablespoon or two of butter. Add salt and pepper to taste.

We made enough risotto to last more than one meal and so did not combine the risotto and mushrooms until serving. In a bowl, we put in the risotto and then topped it with the sauteed mushrooms and freshly ground pepper. The next night we had more fresh mushrooms, and their freshness created quite a bit of juice as they cooked. This made a sort of risotto soup with a glorious delicate mushroom broth.

This is definitely a bright side of a rainy summer.

(The risotto basic recipe is from Joy of Cooking.)

Update: Thanks to Gary Laursen, noted expert on Alaska mushrooms, we know now that the mushroom is actually Leucopaxillus albissimus. A different genus, but no less delicious.