Mind-Blowing Mushroom Risotto (with truffle)

Ladies and gentlemen,

In a hole in the ground lived a hobbit,
Hello darkness my old friend,
Mr and Mrs Dursley,
Good morning,
The world is changed,
Butter.
These are the beginings of some of my favorite things. Now the latter, that beautiful dairy product, starting with a nice soft 'B' , ender with a tender 'r' and melting on your tongue some where in the middle is the ingredient of the gods. You ask any decent chef what are the 3 core ingredients of french cooking and they will tell you this ; butter butter and butter.
Now as a rule i try not to keep butter in my house because otherwise i lose my mind and start adding butter to everything, which half of the time, is really not necessary but i just cant help myself.
Sometimes I lose the plot anyway and steal my housemates butter which I then have to replace, and this means I have half a block of butter left and it all goes downhill from there.
But let me tell you something, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, the secret to a risotto, a really good risotto, is butter.
Some nice stock, onions and garlic and your flavoring of choice will help improve your risotto no end.
In a wild splurge I went to my local fine food store the other day and baught a few beautiful ingredients and one of my splurges was some Simon Johnson risotto rice. Now a really sexy risotto rice is twice the price but really worth it.





Now I'm not going to say I'm a snob and dont ever cook risotto with the risotto rice you buy in the supermarket, because that would be an outrageous lie... But sometimes, just sometimes, its nice to buy the special stuff and really treat yourself.
The grains hold their shape for a wonderful feeling between your teeth and the way the sauce thickens is a beatiful thing. But I digress, either will work here just fine.
Now it is time for a secret.
A secret that may change your life and your tastebuds, forever.
Truffle Tapenade.
The first few times i tried truffle it was via truffle oil. And though truffle oil is a beautiful product it is very heady. And this just wont do for everything. But truffle tapenade is made by blitzing a small amount of truffles into a mushroom paste and let me tell you that this is warm and earthy in the most amazing of ways.
It still makes your head feel a little funny and your nose start proposing marriage and I personally prefer this to truffle infused oil almost every time.





By god, ive been ranting for far too long, Ive actually made myself hungry again, just thinking about this risotto.

But dont be daunted if your living on the poor side of life; supermarket risotto rice, mushrooms and stock minus the truffle paste will still rock your socks. And possible your cocks, if you have one. Just don't skimp on the butter....

200gm risotto rice
15o gm butter
splash of oil
1 small brown onion, fairly finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, sliced or diced (but NOT minced in a jar)
4-5 button mushrooms
2-3 Field Mushrooms
Splash of dry white wine (maybe 50-1oo ml)
2 tsp truffle tapenade (or to taste)
About 600ml of stock
100 gm more of cold cubed butter
cheese of choice (i suggest parmesan or a soft goats)




Pop your stock on to heat over a medium pan.
In a nice large saucepan softly fry off your onion and garlic in the butter and splash of oil. Keep the heat medium to low and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
Dice your button mushrooms and wack into the heavenly sauteing onion mix. Fry out for a further 2-3 minutes, or until soft and sexy.






It may seem like a little too much butter at this point but what you are
going to do next is plonk in your risotto rice and stir until all the oniony garlicky flavored butter coats your grains of rice in a beautiful sheen. Cook for a minute or so, stirring as you go then add your white wine with a lovely splash and let it infuse and absorb.
Get a ladle in your simmering stock and get ready your wooden spoon and arm of choice.
Add the stock, a ladle at a time, stirring constantly but without great effort . Let all the liquid absorb before you add your next ladle. Make sure you use your spoon to stir the whole pan, so as nothing is missed.
Continue until most of the stock is added and the rice is cooked but still with a little bite and a wonderful texture.
What you don't want is for your risotto to be stiff. Some things should most definately be stiff... But risotto is not one of them.
Now turn the heat right down and add the cold cubed butter, stirring until the risotto softens and becomes silky and lush. Adjust seasoning, truffle paste and some grated parmesan, if using.
Turn off heat and let sit for 2-3 minutes. This allows the risotto to rest and become the best it possible can be. Add a little more butter if desired.
Ladle onto a plate. The risotto should spread like so...



If it holds its shape it is too thick. Most restaurants, unfortunately, have this wrong.
Garnish with some shaved parmesan, or little chunks of goats cheese.






Taste. Decide that this, in all great likelihood, is what you would order for your last meal on earth.





My friend, apon tasting this said, "This is possibly the best thing I have ever had in my mouth."
Oh yes.

Farmers Market Fantasy - Smokin' Salmon Sexiness

Almost every Wednesday I make a mission to my local farmers market to peruse, smell, talk, touch and buy.

It is very satisfying to my inner foodie voyeur.
Tables heaped high with heirloom tomatoes.

Trays of homemade marinated olives, fresh herbs and sexy little tubs of artichokes calling seductively to me.
I brace myself apon arriving to not spend all my money on the outrageously rich brownie stall handing out free samples. Damn them and their chocolatey goodness.
There is a man who sells fresh produce and goats cheese who always looks you straight in the eye and says, "These passion fruit are like sex. Try one. I never lie about food. Do you see this goats cheese? Award winning. You won't be disappointed.' And he somehow manages not to sound sleazy at all.
There is a spice stall where I buy my vanilla beans and dukka. Three sexy Tahitian vanilla beans for only $10. Its amazing.
If you walk past the mushroom stall and your nose doesn't become mesmerized by the smell of their simmering mushroom-soup-in-a-cup you clearly don't love mushrooms at all...
And bread!
I grew up eating locally-made wood-fired sourdough bread and for a long while it ruined me for other bread. But now! Now their is a plethora of amazing bread for me to peruse and buy.
I may look slightly strange walking down the street hugging a paper bag smelling my olive and rosemary sourdough, but do I care? I do not.
Unfortunately I have so far been too mesmerized by the food to take any photo's but I will get around to it soon, I swear!
So I woke up this morning and threw together myself a lunch using almost only ingredients I bought at the market yesterday.
Easier to prepare than buying Tim tams on special (well, almost) this tasted like it took a mob of chefs to prepare... I mean, just look at it.

1 bundle of organic dried udon noodles
salt, pepper and olive oil

50 gm of Camembert or Brie of your choice
Rocket, or some other peppery lettuce




Handful of heirloom cherry tomatoes
squeeze of lemon
50 gm of hot-smoked salmon (not to be confused with the cold-smoked salmon you normally buy)


Boil some water. Cook your udon. Flake the salmon apart with your fingers like so...

Roughly cut the tomatoes, tear the brie into little chunks and toss with the olive oil and rocket and salmon. Season well.
Strain the udon. Mix through.
Devour with gusto.

Notes;
- I do specify dried udon noodles here as the fresh ones work better in stir-fries. The dried ones have a lovely bite to it, a little like linguine or spaghetti. Both of these pasta types would go spiffingly here if you have some in your cupboard.
-The cheese I have used in these pictures is Tasmanian Heritage signature Camembert and it will make your insides go as gooey as its oozing loveliness.
The picture above is how soft it is straight out of the fridge. You should see it when you let it come to room temperature...
- If you have never tried hot-smoked salmon you are missing out. I love the cold smoked salmon you buy in the supermarket but this is a totally different beast. Same fish, different taste entirely.
Hot smoked salmon is smoked with heat and takes on a lovely campfire flavor and flaky texture. No words can fully evoke the sumptously complex rich smoky flavors of this wonderful ingredient.
Do yourself a favor. Go online, find someone near you who is making it and buy some. Here is the guys who made mine... They smoke it onsite, at the market. Yowza!
I do know how to make it myself. Ill blog about it someday.

All night long - Slow Braised Lamb Shanks with Soft Polenta, Broccolini and Shitake Mushroom Sauce

In this day and age every cookbook and its mum is about quick food, food in minutes, week night cooking... And dont get me wrong, I love quick effortless food.
But just as quickly prepared, quickly eaten is satisfying, there is something quite indulgent about taking some time to put love and effort into your food.
Cooking for the sensual pleasure of the preparation of the food, rather than just the satisfaction of the eating.
The slow food movement is sweeping the globe.
I would love to see giant billboards displaying the scintillating words, 'WANT LONGER LASTING DINNER?' or 'MAKING DINNER? DO IT... LONGER.'
Given the way many of us live these days it is not possible every night to spend hours preparing our meals, or that we will even want to.
But sometimes you want to just get in the kitchen and lose yourself in there for an age. Put on some sexy salsa music, pour yourself a glass of whatever you fancy and create something fantastic.
Make a thing of it, if you want. Invite some people round for dinner. Or don't.
In her Nigella Lawson's fantastic book How To Eat she fabulously quotes Woody Allen in relation to making food just for yourself - 'Don't knock masturbation.' He once said. 'Its making love to someone I love.'

On that note lets slip off our shoes and get in the kitchen...



For the shanks;
12 lamb shanks
1 large brown onion, roughly chopped
1 carrot, roughly chopped
2-3 bay leaves
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and smushed with the side of your knife
vegetable oil
2-3 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
Enough stock to cover - 1-2 litres
200 ml red wine
Sprig of rosemary, torn off the stem
4-5 stalk of fresh thyme, torn of the stem

For the Polenta;



1200ml of Chicken or Vegetable stock
1200ml Milk
400gm Polenta
100 gm Butter, cubed
Seasoning
Your favorite whisk
Your nicest pan, preferably with a thick base
200 gm grated cheese of your choice - I prefer Parmesan here




For the Shitake Mushroom Sauce;



15-20 dried shitake mushrooms
hot water
1 Brown or spanish onion, finely diced
3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1tbls oil
1tbls butter
splash of white wine, if desired
1-2tsp corn flour
seasoning
smoked paprika, if desired
+
Broccolini, to serve

To cook the shanks;
Preheat your oven to 140c - 150c.
Give the shanks a good season all over - nobody likes a bland shank. Now is the chance to use your pepper grinder. Get carried away, I won't mind.
Heat a little oil in a couple of large pans till quite hot then carefully place your meat into the sizzling pans and cook, turning occasionally until they are well browned all over. Don't be tempted to turn them too often as color equals flavor. And flavor equals wonder.
Remove with tongs to a deep sided baking tray.
Fry your vegetables (onion, garlic, carrot, celery) in the same pan; they will soak up any lamby flavor left in the pan. Fry them till they are quite golden...
Tumble the vege over the shanks and return the pans to the heat. Pour in your wine if you're using or a little stock if you are going nonalcoholic and stir with your wooden spoon till all the delicious bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan release their hold and become one with the wine/stock.
This is called deglazing.
Add this damn fine liquid to the shanks.
Heat stock in a pan till it comes to the boil. Pour it over the shanks until it covers it by a centimetre or so. Place in your herbs, peppercorns and bayleaves.
Cover tightly with foil and bake for 3-5 hours.
I did mine for 5 hours and they were literally melting off the bone.
Give them a check after 3 and see how they are doing.
Go occupy yourself for a few hours.

You can make the sauce in advance to make your life easier and
simply reheat it when your ready to go.

For The Shitake Mushroom Sauce;

Place the mushrooms in a bowl and cover with 500ml of boiling water. Leave to sit for a good half an hour to plump and infuse the water with their wonderfully unique taste...

Heat oil and butter gently in a pan. Add onion and garlic and fry till translucent and caramelized.
The more flavor you achieve now, the more flavor it will add to the sauce. Don't let the garlic color as it will change the flavor..
Season and add the smoked paprika if you are using.
Fry a little longer.
Chop shitake mushrooms into thick slices and add to the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add a splash of white wine if desired. Pour in 300ml of the shitake soaking liquid and 200ml of either some shank braising liquid or some chicken or vegetable stock.
Simmer until reduced by half and the flavor is rich and aromatic.



Mix corn flour in a small bowl with 4 tbls water to make a smooth paste. Trickle into your sauce, stirring constantly as you go to avoid lumps.
cook until velvety and no longer tastes of raw flour.
Serve or put aside to heat later.

Note - this sauce is also beautiful if you replace the corn flour with cream and reduce a further 10 minutes to make a lush shitake cream sauce.
About 30 minutes before they are ready make the polenta.

To Make the Polenta;

Heat the stock and milk with some seasoning until simmering.
Get your parmesan grated, your butter cubed and your whisk ready.
Rain in the polenta, whisking as you go. It will seem like a lot of liquid. Trust me - it will come good.
Turn down the heat and keep whisking until it starts to thicken. You want to cook it out for a good 15 minutes or so for it to become beautifully velvety. Add your butter as you stir gently. There is no need to tired out your arm once the heat is turned down. Just stay with it and whisk gently. Add your parmesan (or cheese of your cheese) and adjust seasoning to taste.



Whisk a little more. Add butter as needed and a little cream if desired.
Remove from heat and cover with foil to keep warm.

To Serve;

Steam broccolini until just cooked and still beautifully green. Season.
Spoon soft polenta onto plate.
Top with two shanks, on or off the bone. Garnish with steamed broccoli and drizzle generously with sauce.
Taste and remember why sometimes going the extra miles is worth the effort...




Meltingly soft polenta...






Uniquely rich shitake mushroom sauce...



And Lamb so tender it literally falls off the bone...

Careful... It may be too tender to stay on your fork...