Oyster Mushroom Risotto kissed with White Truffle Oil

On Valentine's Eve I cooked quite possibly one of the best meals I have ever made: Oyster Mushroom Risotto drizzled with White Truffle Oil, accompanied by Roasted Golden Beet Salad with Goat Cheese, Toasted Pine Nuts and Watermelon Radish. My weekend trip to the farmer's market inspired the menu, which made it all the better. I don't even know if I have the words to describe how stellar it truly was...Unctious? Yes. Decadent and luxurious with layer upon layer of flavor? Yes. Did I emit sounds of delicious pleasure while eating? Mmmmm hmmm.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I purchased the gorgeous Oyster Mushrooms from Kitchen Pride Mushrooms, and while perusing the booth, I asked for cooking recommendations. Oyster mushrooms are so delicate and beautiful, I was afraid of heating them into loosing their structural integrity. She recommended to coat with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, and roast them in the oven at a high heat until they are crispy. I knew this would be a perfect topping for some risotto. 

I found this recipe for Wild Mushroom Risotto on the Epicurious iPhone App, made adjustments and included them below. While the farmer's market veggies are truly the gems of these dishes, the White Truffle Oil adds an irreplaceable touch of decadence, sophistication and flavor. Don't use olive oil as a substitution, it's just not the same. Invest in a little bottle and be prepared for your mind to be blown. Amazing, out of this world stuff I now use on salads, veggies, anything to add that extra oomph.

Oyster Mushroom Risotto

43.5 oz. chicken broth (I used 1 full quart, plus 11.5 oz of another quart and saved the rest)*
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
8-11 oz. crimini mushrooms, sliced

1/2 lb. oyster mushrooms
1 cup arborio rice* or medium-grain rice
1/2 cup dry Sherry
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)
3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley

Beet Salad

1/2 lb. golden beets, trimmed

1 watermelon radish

4 cups sliced romaine

1 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted

4 oz. goat cheese

Salad Dressing
Juice of 1 lemon (yielded 2 Tbsp)
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 heaping Tsp honey

1 Tsp Dijon mustard
1 pinch of Herbs de Provence
salt and pepper to taste

*Use vegetable broth (or mushroom broth if you can find it) for a vegetarian dish.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees to roast the beets. Wrap the beets in foil, and once oven is  heated,  place on the middle rack for 1 - 1.5 hours until tender. Test by pricking with a fork. Once tender, set aside to cool.

Prepare a cookie sheet with foil and non-stick spray to roast the oyster mushrooms. I cut the pretty little ears from the stem (chopped the stem to use in the risotto), wiped them clean with a wet paper towel, placed on the cookie sheet and drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper. I roasted at 400 for about 15 minutes, or until roasted and crispy. Periodically check on them every 5 mins or so to be careful not to burn.   

 

Bring chicken broth to simmer in medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low; cover and keep broth hot. Melt 3 tablespoons butter with olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped shallots; saute 1 minute. Add sliced crimini mushrooms and chopped oyster mushroom stem; cook until mushrooms are tender and juices are released, about 8 minutes. Add rice and stir to coat. Add Sherry and simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes. 

Increase heat to medium-high. Add 3/4 cup hot chicken broth and simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently. Add remaining hot chicken broth 3/4 cup at a time, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes. Cover and keep warm while you prepare the salad. 

Slip the skins off the cooled beets and slice into 1/4 in. rounds. If you are lucky enough to get your hands on a watermelon radish, peel the outside with a vegetable peeler, slice into thin slices, then slice those in half so your pieces look like little watermelons. Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan until just golden, this should only take a couple of minutes. Careful not to burn as these burn pretty quick when pan toasted. 

For the dressing, combine mustard, honey, lemon juice, olive oil, herbs de Provence, salt and pepper in a jar with a tight fitting lid, shake until incorporated - or whisk together. To assemble salad, lay your romaine lettuce as a base, add the watermelon radish pieces, beet rounds, top the beet rounds with goat cheese slices, garnish with toasted pine nuts and dress with vinaigrette. 

Back to the risotto. Heat pan to warm, once warmed, plate with a serving of risotto, top with roasted oyster mushrooms, garnish with shaved Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley, drizzle with White Truffle Oil.
 

Enjoy! I think someone may fall in love with you all over again this evening. 

Listening To: Otis Redding, Try a Little Tenderness

Tuna Salad Nicoise

I wish I had a fabulous story to tell you about this salad, like, "I savored my first Tuna Salad Nicoise at a cafe in Nice, accompanied by a crisp Sancerre, overlooking the Mediterranean in the late afternoon sun..." Sadly, I've never been. Someone should take me there.

Now, I know it's 30 degrees outside and you would really prefer some warm soup, but this salad, with Ahi Tuna, potatoes and eggs is a wonderful, hearty mix of flavors and textures. Exquisite in the summer with peak-season farmer's market produce, but still really great in the winter. (And besides, I made soup yesterday.) 

Tuna Salad Nicoise is something that I've been making for years, and it's sort of the French take on a Cobb Salad, for instance, where every person and recipe book makes theirs slightly different. My version below.

Ingredients:

Salad
2 small Ahi Tuna Steaks
5 cups of chopped romaine lettuce (usually Butter Lettuce is used, but I used what was on hand)
1 medium ripe tomato, cut into 8 wedges
1/4 lb. green beans, french cut (on the bias)
2-3 small new potatoes
2 eggs
10 Kalamata Olives (traditionally Nicoise Olives are used, but I had what I had)
Anchovies (optional, but they are super tasty with this salad)
Olive Oil

Dressing
Juice of 1 lemon (yielded 2 Tbsp)
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 Tbsp parsley, minced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 heaping Tsp honey
1 pinch of Herbs de Provence
salt and pepper to taste

First wash and pat your tuna steaks dry, marinate in about a Tbsp of olive oil, salt and pepper. For just about everything, I use this great mix of course salt, pepper and herbs that I bought from Callahan's General Store. If you haven't ever been there, it's on 183 South, on the way out of town to Lockhart (for barbeque, of course). It's a pretty awesome place where you can get a french press, fertilizer, hunting supplies and a backyard chicken all in one place.

Start a large pot of water on the stove to boil while you chop your lettuce, tomato and green beans for the salad and parsley and garlic for the dressing. Once you have the water rolling at a boil, delicately drop in the eggs and potatoes, cook for 10 minutes. Remove the eggs (leave in the potatoes) and drop in the green beans. After 4 minutes, remove the green beans and the potatoes. Shock the green beans in ice water to stop cooking. Peel the eggs. Cut the eggs and potatoes into halves.

Now make the dressing. In a jar or bowl, combine the lemon juice, honey, garlic, chopped parsley, salt, pepper, Herbs de Provence and olive oil. I tend to save all my old jars to reuse for dressings and relishes and stuff (I know, it's the Filipino in me). If you don't have a jar to shake up the dressing, you can certainly whisk it all together, just make sure to continuously whisk while streaming the olive oil so it emulsifies. 

To sear the tuna steaks, put a heavy-bottomed pan on the stove at medium high heat with  about 1 Tbsp of olive oil. When pan is hot, sear the steaks on each side for 4 minutes, or until desired degree of doneness. Slice into strips. 

Now put it all together. I like to pile the tomato, eggs, potatoes, olives in little mounds for aesthetic appeal. Place the tuna on top, drizzle with dressing, and pepper and salt to taste. 

Listening to: Grizzly Bear, Two Weeks