Lindeman’s Red Wine, Pea and Wild Mushroom Risotto

One of my favourite dishes is Red wine, Pea and Mushroom risotto.  Full of flavour, silky smooth, perfect for a weekday supper, or weekend leisurely lunch.  The red wine adds another flavour layer, as well as an interesting colour to the dish.  Go for wine that you love to drink, as not only can you enjoy the rest of the bottle with the meal, you can really tell if the wine isn’t great quality even when you are cooking with it!

This recipe was a bit of a happy accident, as usually I would add parsley at the end to just lift it really, and add some interest colour wise.  When I was making this recently I didn’t have any parsley so added a handful of peas, and I think the added sweetness with the salty parmesan works really well.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, very finely chopped, minced really
• 200 g Arborio rice, this is essential to achieve a smooth silky risotto
• 350-500ml ml hot chicken or if you are vegetarian vegetable stock
• Wild mushrooms, a selection of ones that you like. I used a couple of large handfuls
• 250 ml Lindeman’s red wine
• 50 g of butter
• 75 g grated Parmesan, plus an extra 25 g for serving I prefer this to be shaved
• A handful of frozen peas
• Seasoning

1. I always choose my heaviest pan when I am doing risotto.  I heat the olive oil and then add the onion to cook, this should be on a medium heat and shouldn’t brown just soften. It takes around 6-7 minute, be patient, and don’t turn up the heat.

2. Have another pan that has the stock in, as this needs to also be heated through, and kept at the rolling boil stage. If you don’t have fresh stock, use a stock cube or the gel ones you can buy are perfect.  Now add the rice to the pan with onions in, and stir for around 4-5 minutes, you’ll know when this stage is ready as the rice starts to turn translucent at the edges.

3. So at this point you need to add some stock to the rice, a ladle at a time.  The first ladle of hot stock should be added, and the rice continuously stirred until all the stock has been absorbed by the rice. Repeat this process, you should use most or all of the stock, and it will take around 12 mins.

4. Now for the wine.  I have in the past added it to the stock, but I think it works better if you add it at the end separately. Add it gradually, again waiting until its absorbed before adding the next.  Now is the time to test the rice, and throw in the peas, which take no time at all to cook, a couple of minutes really.  The rice should still have some bite to it, but not crunchy. If it is too hard, add some of the remaining stock and keep it on the heat.

5, In a dry hot frying pan or griddle add the mushrooms, moving them around the pan then reduce the heat to a medium one.  Do this until they soften and at the last moment add a little butter and seasoning, set them aside.

6. Now add the butter and Parmesan to the risotto and stir through vigorously, almost beating it. The risotto should be loose and creamy not dry.

6. Season to taste, and with lots of pepper and a little salt. The mushroom should be placed on top, divided equally between the dishes.

7. Serve and eat straight away and enjoy with a glass of Lindeman’s to accompany it.

This post, is brought to you in collaboration with Lindeman’s Wine.

This is my favourite risotto recipe, and it takes amazing for a midweek supper, I think I’d love to try it over looking some of the vista and postcard I spotted on Penny’s UK parent blog Parent Shaped.  What’s your favourite risotto recipe and where would you like to eat it?