Italian Vegetables Recipes - Asian-style Risotto Recipe

Ingredients

• 5 cups Vegetable Stock (refer recipe)

• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

• 1/4 cup mirin

• 1/3 cup sunflower oil

• 2 tablespoons sesame oil

• 1 bunch of scallions, thickly sliced

• 2 garlic cloves, chopped

• 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

• 1 3/4 cups risotto rice

• 6 lime leaves

• 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms

• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

• cilantro sprigs, to garnish

Serves 4

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Method:

1. Put the stock, soy sauce, and mirin into a pan and bring to a very gentle simmer.

2. Meanwhile, heat 1/4 cup of the sunflower oil and the sesame oil and cook the scallions, garlic, and ginger over a high heat for 1 minute.

3. Add the rice and lime leaves and stir well to coat the grains with the oil. Add the hot stock, a large ladleful at a time, stirring until each addition is absorbed into the rice.

4. Continue adding stock in this way, cooking until the rice is creamy but the grains are still firm. This should take about 20 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, discard the stalks of the mushrooms and thinly slice all but a few. Fry all the mushrooms in the remaining oil for 5 minutes until golden.

6. Add the cilantro to the risotto with the mushrooms. Heat through, then cover the pan and leave the risotto to rest for a few minutes before serving, garnished with the reserved whole mushrooms and cilantro sprigs.

Note: An unusual kind of risotto, this dish successfully combines the flavors of the West with Eastern ingredients.