Wild Mushroom and Spinach Risotto with Grafton Maple Smoked Cheddar
The Old Tavern at Grafton created this dish with Maple Smoked Cheddar, but other Grafton cheddars or combinations of cheddars may be used.
2 cups Arborio rice
1 bottle white wine, Chardonnay
1 large sweet onion, thin julienne
1 shallot, finely chopped
½ lb baby spinach
1.5 quarts miso broth (combine yellow miso & hot water)
6 oz Grafton Maple Smoked Cheddar, grated
4 oz unsalted butter
1 bulb roasted garlic (chopped)
¼ cup parmesan cheese
½ lb shitake mushrooms
½ lb cremini mushrooms
½ lb oyster mushrooms
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Cooking Process:
Place a thick bottomed sauce pot on medium low heat. Sauté mushrooms in three batches with the olive oil and 1 T butter. Cook to golden brown. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar to caramelize each batch of mushrooms. Set aside cooked mushrooms.
In the same pot, on medium low heat, heat 1 T butter, 1 T olive oil. Add onion and shallot and sauté until caramelized. Add 2 oz of the white wine to deglaze.
Add Arborio rice with 2 T olive oil and stir well. Add 6 oz stock, 2 oz wine and 1 t butter, continually stirring the rice. Keep repeating the stock, wine and butter combination until all broth is absorbed (approx. 20-25 mins). Cook to al dente.
Add spinach until wilted, then the roasted garlic, Grafton cheddar and parmesan. Add mushrooms, and season dish with salt and pepper.