Easy Chanterelle Mushroom Risotto

Risotto may sound like a daunting meal, but it doesn’t have to be. This easy chanterelle mushroom risotto is simple and will have you thinking you’ve tapped into your inner Italian. Risotto is a classic, and these nutty and beautifully-foraged chanterelles really enhance the humble dish! The chanterelles displayed below were purchased at a farmer’s market in Calgary, Alberta.

As a fun fact, humans have yet to uncover the secrets of growing chanterelles. All the chanterelles you find at local farmer’s markets and restaurants are hand-foraged. Chanterelles are nutrient-dense and golden chanterelles, in particular, are quite high in B vitamins. You can also substitute another mushroom in this risotto, such as shiitake or cremini, but there’s nothing quite like the mild and delicate flavor of the chanterelle.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

The Prep

The first thing to do is to clean those beautiful mushrooms. And as lovely as they look, be mindful not to eat them raw, as they can upset your stomach. Carefully wipe the mushrooms down with a paper towel or soft cloth. Then slice the mushrooms, or leave them whole if you prefer!

Next, chop the onion and mince the garlic. As a final piece of prep, prepare your broth, or if you are using pre-prepared broth, heat it over the stovetop.

The Cook

Heat the butter in a deep frying pan, and add the mushrooms, seasoning with salt and pepper. Sauté the mushrooms for five minutes or until they are soft. Mushrooms release a surprising amount of liquid when cooked, and Chanterelles especially, have a high water content.

Once they are cooked, remove them from the pan and return the pan to the stovetop. Chanterelles are one of my favorite mushrooms and with this recipe, it is hard not to eat them all before incorporating them back into the dish.

In the same pan, you sautéed your mushrooms add your onion and garlic, and sauté until translucent. Then add the Arborio rice and stir. The rice should have a nice shine and give off a bit of a nutty flavor from the mushrooms.

Now slowly add your broth in, a ladle cup at a time, until the rice is cooked. Wait until the rice absorbs the liquid before adding more and stir throughout. The risotto should have a nice creamy velvety texture when done. The trick to perfect risotto is to continuously taste-test your risotto when it’s almost done. This way, you’ll avoid either undercooking or overcooking your rice.

Mix in your mushrooms and serve.

To make a complete meal, add garlic bread, and roasted vegetables. Roasted rainbow carrots from the garden are a perfect accompaniment but feel free to experiment with other combinations according to the season and available ingredients.

Ingredients

• 1 TBSP of butter
• 8 oz of chanterelle mushrooms
• salt and pepper
• 1 chopped onion
• 2-4 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 4 cups of vegetable broth
• carrots (optional)

Instructions

1. Clean and chop 8 ounces of chanterelle mushrooms, one onion, and mince 2-4 gloves of garlic.
2. If roasting carrots or other vegetables, prepare those now and coat them in oil and salt and pepper before popping them into the oven at 425°F. They should be done by the time the risotto is ready to serve.
3. Heat 1 TBSP of butter in a frying pan on medium heat and add the mushrooms, seasoning with salt and pepper. Sauté the mushrooms for five minutes. Set aside to mix back into the risotto at the end and return the frying pan to the stovetop.
4. Add the onion and garlic to the same pan the mushrooms were cooking in.
5. Once the onions are translucent stir in 1 cup of Arborio rice.
6. Ladle warm broth into the risotto slowly, waiting for the liquid to absorb before adding more. Stir throughout. Cook until the risotto has a creamy texture.
7. Add in the mushrooms and serve.