Red Wine, Thyme & Mushroom Risotto

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.

2. Add garlic and onion and sauté until onion is translucent, about 2 minutes.

3. Add mushrooms, salt and pepper to the saucepan and sauté until soft and reduced, about 5 minutes.

4. Pull the thyme leaves off the sprigs and add the leaves into the saucepan.

5. Add arborio rice into the saucepan and toast for about a minute, until any liquid is absorbed.

6. Add the red wine to the pan and use it to deglaze, scraping any burnt or crispy bits off the bottom of the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until rice has absorbed all of the wine, about 10 minutes.

7. Add 1 cup chicken stock and cook, stirring frequently, until rice has absorbed all of the stock. Repeat this process, adding 1 cup of stock at a time and letting the rice absorb it in between each addition, until rice is al dente.

8. Taste the rice in between each addition of stock to see if it needs more; the final product should have a slight bite to it and not be mushy, and the rice and stock will have formed a thick, starchy broth.

9. When rice is al dente and a thick stock has formed, remove risotto from heat.

10. Stir in unsalted butter and Parmesan cheese, stirring continuously until they’ve both melted into the risotto.

11. Taste again and add seasoning if necessary.

12. Top with additional fresh thyme and serve immediately.

Notes: Risotto takes time and attention to cook properly—be patient and taste often! It can take a bit of practice to get the process down, but it’s definitely worth it!