What's Happening in Merri's Kitchen: Mushroom and Champagne Risotto

http://www.mapleleaffarms.com/duck/recipe/304/category/6/risotto-with-exotic-mushrooms-and-spinach/

I had some mushrooms a little past their prime, and some shallots that were beyond middle age, so I thought this was an opportunity to use them up.

While my duck was roasting, I prepped everything for the risotto, starting with the mushrooms. I sliced them fairly thickly as I didn't want them to 'melt' into the risotto. I chopped the shallots, but didn't have quite 1/2 cup. I didn't want the stronger taste of onions and I remembered I had some frozen sliced leeks so I thawed some, chopped them, and added to the shallots.

The recipe I was using for the duck called for twenty minutes of resting. About ten minutes before taking the duck out I started my risotto. The risotto was done and the rest period ended about the same time.

I put the chicken broth on to simmer and melted 2 tbsp butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat. The rest was lined up and ready to go.

I added the mushrooms, shallots and leeks to the pan and cooked three minutes, stirring frequently.

The recipe called for dry white wine. I didn't want to open a bottle since I was headed out of town the next day. But I had some leftover prosecco. I thought, hm. It's dry and it's white. I conferred with some cooking friends and the consensus was that it would be fine. And it was.

I added 1/2 cup of prosecco, stirred until absorbed, then adding the chicken broth 1/2 cup at a time began.

It took around 20 minutes for all the broth to be added and absorbed. It did take a few more additions of hot water to really get the rice tender.

After seasoning with salt and pepper, I added half the grated Parmesan and stirred it in.

Other than using white button mushrooms instead of wild, prosecco instead of plain dry, white wine, using leeks, and not adding spinach at all, it's the exact same recipe!

Bring stock to a simmer over high heat then lower heat to keep at a gentle, constant simmer

Melt butter in large pan over medium high heat. Add mushrooms, shallots and leeks and cook, stirring frequently, for three minutes. Add the rice and toast for one or two minutes. Stir frequently. Basically assume from here on out, you will stir frequently.

Add 1/2 cup prosecco and stir until the liquid is completely absorbed. Add one cup of chicken stock and stir until absorbed. The heat should be adjusted so it is at a constant simmer. Now keep adding the stock 1/2 cup at a time, after each addition is completely absorbed. It took a full 18 minutes to add all the stock.

I found my rice still had too much of a bite at this point so kept adding hot water a bit at a time, testing after the water was absorbed until it was the texture I wanted.