how2heroes » Wild Mushroom Risotto w/ Broccoli Rabe

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Serves 4

Ingredients

Risotto

1 cup mixed mushrooms (such as cèpes, black trumpets, chanterelles, hedgehogs)
2 cups hot water
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup diced yellow onion
1 cup Arborio rice
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup Champagne or sparkling wine
1 qt vegetable broth
1½ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup heavy cream
4 tbsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground white pepper
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil

Broccoli Rabe

1 tbsp salt, plus more for seasoning
1 bunch broccoli rabe (about ½ lb), 1" trimmed from the base of the stems
2 tbsp olive oil
freshly ground black pepper

How-to

Prepare the Risotto

Heat the oil in a medium-size heavy saucepan on medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir and cook for a few minutes
Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Turn the heat back up to medium-high and add the Champagne, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the liquid is absorbed, 3 to 4 minutes
Add the vegetable broth, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly after each addition until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat this process until you have used all the broth. Cook for 20 minutes
Stir in the cheese, cream, and let it simmer 3 or 4 minutes. Add the lemon juice. The total cooking time should be 25 to 28 minutes. The consistency of the risotto should not be too thick—if necessary, add more vegetable broth and cream in equal proportion to achieve a looser texture. Serve immediately with the Broccoli Rabe (recipe follows)

Prepare Broccoli Rabe

Fill a large pot with water, and add 1 tablespoon salt to the water. Bring to a simmer. Add the broccoli rabe to the water and blanch for 4 minutes
Remove the broccoli rabe from the water and plunge it into ice water to stop the cooking process. Remove it from the ice water
Heat a small sauté pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the olive oil. When the olive oil is sizzling, add the broccoli rabe and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste

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Frank McClelland

One of Boston’s most well-respected entrepreneurs and chefs, by the age of 26, Frank McClelland had already been a chef in two of the most respected local kitchens -- The Harvest in Cambridge and L'Espalier. In 1984, he became Executive Chef at The Country Inn at Princeton in western Massachusetts, where he earned a four-star rating from The Boston Globe and was named one of the country's top 25 new chefs by Food & Wine. In 1986, McClelland returned to L'Espalier as Executive Sous Chef, and within two years he fulfilled a lifelong dream with the purchase of the restaurant. Under McClelland’s direction, L’Espalier was quickly recognized as one of the top 20 restaurants in the country and received numerous awards and accolades, including six years running as the only independent restaurant in New England to receive Five Diamonds from AAA. McClelland’s business acumen proved to be invaluable to Sel de la Terre as well, as it opened to rave reviews, and was instantly named one of the top 20 new restaurants in America by Esquire Magazine. McClelland is known for his pursuit of perfection, his intensity and a love for what he does, and this unending aspiration for perfection has been instrumental in establishing both Sel de la Terre and L’Espalier amongst the most successful restaurants in Boston.