Wild Mushroom & Corn Risotto with Tarragon

I had a craving for risotto the other day and so I decided to make a wild mushroom and corn risotto.  My favorite mushrooms to use in this dish are chanterelle, oyster and shiitake mushrooms, but I couldn't find any chanterelle's at the market yet.  Chanterelle's come into season late summer, early fall and are a perfect pairing with corn and risotto.  They are golden in color, have a great texture and provide a nutty flavor to the risotto.  However, they are really expensive, usually about $25 per pound!  If you can find them at your market, purchase a small amount--a little goes a long way.  But if you can't find them, no worries, this risotto will still be really delicious without them.

 

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups arborio rice

1 large leek, white/light green parts only, sliced in half moons, washed and drained

2 tbsp minced garlic

1/2 cup white wine

6 cups vegetable stock, heated

2 ears of corn, shucked, kernels removed from the cob, roasted

8 oz oyster mushrooms, torn into small pieces, roasted

8 oz shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced, roasted

2 tsp minced fresh thyme

2 tbsp minced tarragon, divided

1 cup frozen peas

3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Heat vegetable stock, keep warm and set aside.
• Slice mushrooms and toss with 1 tbsp of olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper.
• Place on a sheet tray and roast for about 5-7 minutes until golden brown.  Be careful not to burn.  Remove from oven and set aside.
• Remove kernels from corn and toss in 1 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven for about 10-15 minutes until lightly golden.  Remove from oven and set aside. 
• Heat a large saute pan on medium heat and add 2 tbsp olive oil, along with arborio rice.  Stir to coat the rice with olive oil. 
• Add sliced leeks, minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste, and cook until leeks are softened, about 3-5 minutes.
• Deglaze with white wine and cook until almost all wine is absorbed.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and add a couple ladles of vegetable stock, stirring continuously until almost all liquid is absorbed before adding the next two ladles.  Repeat this until rice is al dente and creamy in texture.  The rice takes about 30-40 minutes to cook.  
• I prefer my risotto to be loose in texture, not stiff and dry.
• Just before serving, stir in 1 tbsp minced tarragon, roasted corn, mushrooms and peas and heat through.  Add a little more vegetable stock to keep it loose.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Garnish with additional tarragon and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice if desired.