King Stropharia Risotto with White Wine, Parsley & Roasted Ancho Chiles
Sometimes the best meals emerge spontaneously from circumstance. Yesterday we had two foraging finds: king stropharia mushrooms in the parking lot of one of our favorite local hiking trails, and over three pounds of ancho chiles growing beneath the weeds in our second, abandoned community garden plot. We went to the hiking spot with the intention of searching for hedgehog and lion’s mane mushrooms deep in the woods, equipped with camera, knife, and basket. Before even stepping out of the car, we noticed a pound of gorgeous strophs basking in the sun. These turned out to be our only find of the hike; sometimes you don’t have to travel far to find the best mushrooms!
Risotto has long been a staple in my kitchen, but the union of king stropharias and ancho chiles was a new introduction. The meaty king stropharias offer a hearty, potato and red wine, quintessential mushroom flavor, while the roasted ancho chiles contribute a mild, delicate heat. A delectable dinner indeed!
King stropharia
Serves 2
Ingredients for Risotto:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
¾ cup Arborio rice
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
4-6 kale leaves, chopped
¼ cup white wine
1/3 cup grated Romano cheese
1 tbsp cream cheese
¼ tsp cracked pepper
Salt to taste
Ingredients for King Stropharia Garnish:
2 tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
King stropharia mushrooms, sliced (ideally 5-9 medium mushrooms, but however many you have will do!)
¼ cup white wine
¼ bunch of parsley, chopped
Cracked pepper and coarse salt to taste
Ingredients for Roasted Ancho Chiles:
3 ancho chiles
1 tsp olive oil
DIRECTIONS:
Risotto: Begin making risotto by heating olive oil in a large pan and sauté shallots and garlic until translucent. Add the rice and sauté on a low heat for a couple minutes. Slowly begin to add stock, one cup at a time. Stir frequently and add the next cup of stock once the rice has absorbed the majority of the liquid. When the rice is tender, add the chopped kale, cracked pepper and white wine. Stir frequently and simmer on a low heat. Once the rice has absorbed the rest of the liquid, stir in Romano and cream cheese, and then salt to taste.
Roasted Ancho Chiles: Preheat the oven to 400° F. Cut peppers in half and remove seeds and fiber. Place chiles on a pan and brush lightly with olive oil. Roast chiles uncovered in oven for approximately 35-45 minutes or until tender and toasted.
King Stropharia Mushrooms: Leave approximately 10-15 minutes to prepare and cook these tasty morsels. Clean and remove any blemishes on the mushrooms, then slice and set aside. Heat butter in a pan and sauté garlic. Add mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook for approximately 8-10 minutes. Stir mushrooms frequently and add white wine once they have been cooking for six minutes or so. Remove mushrooms from the heat once the edges begin to brown and simultaneously toss in parsley.
Final step! Serve risotto on top of the roasted ancho chiles and garnish with the king stropharia mushrooms. Mangia!
Ancho Chiles!
