Mushroom Farro Risotto
This Mushroom Farro Risotto was on the menu last week at our “Rooted in Community” Annual Celebration! Chef Keith and the Root Alumni Kitchen Team created this savory dish using a variety of beautiful, fresh mushrooms from our friends at Fat Moon Farm and nutty, sweet farro. We are so grateful to work with the amazing fresh ingredients from all of our partner farms! If you sampled this delicious dish at the event or try it at home, let us know what you think!
Mushroom Farro Risotto
Recipe yield: 8 servings
Ingredients:
Farro
2 cups farro
2 Tbsp clarified butter or other cooking oil
8 cups white chicken or vegetable stock
2-3 tsp Kosher salt, to taste
Mushroom Ragu:
1 quart of chopped mushrooms
1 shallot, minced
2 small garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups white chicken or vegetable stock
Kosher salt, to taste
Garnish
Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
Chopped fresh herbs, for garnish (thyme, basil, rosemary, and parsley work well here)
Method of Preparation:
Mise en place: read your recipe, gather all ingredients, then gather tools, measure, then start preparing.
First, make your ragu - In an appropriately sized pot, sweat onions, garlic, and mushrooms in olive oil. Once the ingredients have wilted and cooked down, deglaze with white wine and reduce until dry. Next, add your stock and salt and simmer the dish together. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.
3) Next, make your farro base - In an appropriate pot, toast the farro in butter/fat over medium heat until the grain smells toasty and has absorbed some of the oil; take care to avoid color. Deglaze the pan with 2 cups of the stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and reduce until all the liquid is absorbed. Continue to add 2 cups of stock to the pot in stages, reducing until nearly dry each time, until all of the stock is gone. The mixture should thicken a little; reserve until needed to finish the dish.
4) To finish the dish, combine prepared farro and mushroom ragu in a large pot, and bring to a simmer. Add pecorino cheese to the hot mixture and stir together to melt the cheese; the thickness of the mixture should be that of warm oatmeal. When hot and thickened, taste for texture and flavor, adjusting as necessary. Pour into plates and garnish with fresh herbs.