Parsnip and Mushroom Risotto, Day 61, 7/28/11

After a yummy lunch with Beth at Granite City the other day, I decided I'd to go the Super Target right there and see if they had any varieties of soy sausage.  Well, they didn't.  But I did find a bag of parsnips.  I don't think I've seen parsnips at my Price Chopper.  I used to eat them at my grandma Elliott's when I was little.  My mom loves them and I remember liking them, too.  They look like a white carrot, but their flavor isn't similar to that of a carrot at all.  They're often compared to potatoes, but I wouldn't say they really taste like potatoes either though.  If I had to compare them to a more common ingredient, I would say they're like a sweet potato with a bite??  Ya know how radishes have a bite to them, kind of a "hot" flavor...  I think parsnips have a bite to them too.

I decided since it's been years since I had a parsnip, I'd buy the bag and try to figure out something to do with them. 

Many of the cooking shows that I watch feature Parsnip Purees, but again, I just like a little more texture than that.  I used to roast them when the Price Chopper near my house (10 years ago) used to carry them and they weren't too bad that way.  Now, my grandma used to pan fry them.  First she'd boil them and then I think she dusted them with flour before frying them.  I don't have a clue whether she did it in oil or butter but they were really good.

Last night I started to search for parsnip recipes to see if there was something else I could do with them.  I found a Parsnip Risotto Recipe and knew that I had arborio rice and veggie broth in the pantry so I decided to give it a try.  I'd never made risotto before, because it requires so much babysitting, and I'm usually trying to make 2 or 3 things at once.  But I've been wanting to give it a try, so I decided now was the time.

I usually don't follow a recipe at all, I just scan it for the process and go from there.  But since I'd never made risotto before, I didn't know what kind of a rice to broth ratio I would need, so I did follow that exactly.  The recipe that I used called for 1 1/2 cups of rice and 8 cups of broth.  Now, 8 cups is exactly 2 of these 32 oz boxes of veggie broth that I buy, but another cup or 2 on hand wouldn't have hurt.

To start, get your 8-10 cups of veggie broth in a pot on the stove.  You're going to want to bring it to a boil and then, turn it down to low and keep a lid on it.

While your broth is heating, dice (large dice) one medium-large onion and add it to a pan over medium heat with a butter and olive oil mixture in it.  Let that soften for about 6 minutes and then add your parsnips.  The parsnips will need to be peeled first and then sliced.  You could dice them or slice them into rounds, it's up to you.  I used 3 parsnips, but in reflecting upon the finished product, I think 2 parsnips would yield a more appropriate ratio.  Also, with 3 parsnips, I ended up with my pan being a little crowded and I didn't get everything browned like I would have liked.  You'll want to let this mixture cook another 5 minutes or so, so that the parsnips can begin to soften.

Finally, add an 8 oz carton of sliced mushrooms and two teaspoons of fresh rosemary.  I didn't have any fresh rosemary so I used dried, which is why you can't see it in the picture, but I really prefer fresh.  If you use dried, you'll add much less, use about 1/2 teaspoon.  It's very strong dried.

After all of your veggies have browned to your liking, you'll stir in the arborio rice.  With other rices, you should "wash" them before using, but when making risotto, you don't wash the arborio rice.  Get the rice coated with the oil in the pan and let it "toast" for a few minutes before you add any broth.

The process for making risotto is to have a pot of hot broth that you add, a little at a time, to rice that is cooking in an uncovered pan.  You stir in the broth and when the rice has absorbed it, then you add more broth (about a cup.)  You stir that in and continue the process.  You have to be careful not to let it go dry or the rice will burn and stick to the pot (this is the babysitting that I referred to earlier.)  And you have to keep the pan hot enough that when you add the hot broth, everything continues to simmer.  You don't have to stir it constantly, but you do have to stay on it. 

Just keep adding broth and stirring it in until the rice is cooked to the right consistency.  This is a process.  I would guess from when I first added broth until the time it was finished was 20-30 minutes.  I tasted mine probably 6 times before it was done.  That's okay, just keep tasting.  Crunchy rice equals not done yet.

In addition to the measurements for the rice and broth, the recipe I was referring to suggested two other things that I did.  The first is to stir in a teaspoon of butter at the end.  Chefs often do this with dishes to make things appear "glossy" and more appetizing.  And who am I to say no to a little butter?

And the second suggestion I followed was to top the risotto with a little balsamic vinegar.  I drizzled a little bit of balsamic over it and then I added a few goat cheese crumbles on top.  A little sprig of fresh rosemary would be beautiful for serving too if you have it.

Last night I enjoyed this very much.  The risotto was creamy and flavorful and the parsnips and mushrooms added a nice rich comforting taste.  Also, this is a very satisfying meal.  I've always thought of risotto as a side, but if you add a couple of heartier veggies like this, it really can stand alone as a meal.  The balsamic and goat cheese were a nice salty addition, but you could always use the more traditional parmesan or some feta on top.  Whatever your preference is would be fine.

I wondered what my mom, the real parsnip lover, would think, so I called her and invited her over for lunch tomorrow (today) to try my Parsnip and Mushroom Risotto.  She did come over for lunch.  And she ate two bowls full and took the rest of the leftovers with her.  Yes, we can label this one a success!

One word to the wise on this.  Risotto requires you to stand in front of the stove with two burners on (one for broth and one for the rice) for like 30 minutes straight.  Perhaps making it on a day when it's over 100 degrees outside and the a/c is fighting to keep up isn't the best idea.  I'm thinking you might want to file this recipe under "winter."  :-)