Mushroom Risotto with Grilled Mushrooms and Tarragon is the ultimate gluten-free, vegan comfort food. Tasting of earthy, warm flavours, fresh with the slight aniseed tang of tarragon and a wonderful silky texture but with a bite. I love this dish. It makes the world alright again. Fresh, seasonal mushrooms can get lost in a risotto. By grilling the mushroom separately and either stirred in at the end – or even served on the side – allows the fresh, nutty flavour and texture of the mushrooms to shine and the risotto to not eat up the delicate mushrooms.

Risotto is a typically Italian dish. Often the first course or two of a meal, portions can be small. It’s so easy to make with such a fabulous flavour and texture. If you get this right it’s beyond wonderful.

Mushroom Risotto with Grilled Mushrooms and Tarragon is of easy to medium difficulty because of the multi-tasking with the risotto and grilled mushrooms.

This risotto is set up wonderfully by the light and delicate Watercress Soup.

Allergy Information – Mushroom Risotto with Grilled Mushrooms and Tarragon

Mushroom Risotto with Grilled Mushrooms and Tarragon is gluten-free and vegan as well as… coconut free, garlic free, lupin free, mustard free, nightshade free, onion free, peanut free, sesame free, soya free, tree nut free.

Top Tips – Mushroom Risotto with Grilled Mushrooms and Tarragon

You can use any type of fresh mushroom you can get – I used a mixture of shiitake, oyster, girolle and chestnut. If you can forage (be careful!!! And only forage if you know exactly what you are doing or have a guide who does) or buy locally seasonal mushrooms go for those. They will be amazing.

FREE For You! A Whole Set Of Uber-Cool, Retro Recipe Cards For An Indulgent Italian Weekend

This recipe is just one of a whole set of recipes in my FREE uber-cool, retro Indulgent Italian Weekend Recipe Cards. There is a whole Indulgent, Italian Weekend of recipes in the set. All totally gluten-free and vegan (and allium-free and coconut-free!). Download and print the whole set for FREE. Just click the button below to sign-up.

Recipe – Mushroom Risotto with Grilled Mushrooms and Tarragon

Difficulty easy-medium
Serves 4-6
Preparation time 5 minutes
Cooking time 35 minutes

Ingredients – Mushroom Risotto

15 grams dried porcini mushrooms
100 millilitres hot water
1.5 litres hot vegetable stock
Olive oil
2 sticks celery, trimmed and finely chopped
400 grams risotto rice
75 millilitres vermouth (or dry white wine) – optional
0.5 teaspoon sea salt
0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients – Grilled Mushrooms

400 grams mushrooms (I used a mixture of shiitake, oyster, girolle, chestnut etc.), cleaned and sliced
0.5 teaspoon sea salt
Two sprigs tarragon (~5 grams) finely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Method – Mushroom Risotto

1. Place the dried porcini mushrooms in a bowl and pour in just enough hot stock to cover (approximately 100 millilitres). Leave the mushrooms for around 10 minutes until they’ve softened. Remove the mushrooms from the liquid with a fork or spoon and finely chop them. Sieve the soaking liquid to remove any grit and set aside
2. Heat the vegetable stock in a saucepan and keep it on a low simmer
3. In a large pan, add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan and gently heat the oil. Add the finely chopped celery and gently fry without colouring for at least 10 minutes
4. Increase the heat under the pan and add the rice. Stir the rice so it is well coated in the olive oil. Now add the vermouth (or dry white wine). Keep stirring until the vermouth has cooked into the rice
5. Add the chopped porcini, 0.5 teaspoon sea salt and porcini soaking liquid to the pan. Stir well and now add the first ladle of hot stock. Turn the heat down to a simmer. Stir constantly and keep adding a ladle of stock when the previous ladle has been absorbed. Keep stirring the rice so the starch comes out of the rice
6. Carry on adding stock and stirring until the rice is soft but with a slight bite. This will take approximately 30 minutes.

Method – Grilled Mushrooms

1. Whilst the Mushroom Risotto is cooking (and you are stirring and adding stock) take a large dry frying pan and place on a medium heat. Add the fresh mushrooms to the dry pan (one species at a time so they will cook in the same time), once they are brown on one side turn the mushrooms. Treat the mushrooms very gently, touching them as little as possible. They will cook quite quickly. Place the cooked mushrooms in a bowl and keep warm while you cook the next batch
2. Once all the mushrooms are cooked add 0.5 teaspoon sea salt, the finely chopped tarragon and juice of one lemon to the bowl. Gently mix together
3. Once the risotto is cooked (but still has bite) remove from the heat and season as required with any additional sea salt and 0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. The risotto should be creamy and move when you stir it. If it seems too stiff add a little more stock. Put a lid on the pan and leave the risotto to relax for a few minutes
4. Serve the Mushroom Risotto topped with Grilled Mushrooms, dressed with lemon juice and tarragon and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.