Mushroom, Bacon and Thyme Risotto

A labour of love but well worth it! The kids had a packed tea tonight so this was adult tea…so I could afford a little more time to stir and actually Alfie had been somewhat trying this afternoon so stirring a pot of comfort food was pretty therapeutic!…So we’re all good now!..This really was super tasty, creamy and comforting. Hubby went back for seconds and the in-laws have been out today and only just got back but they are heating this up with a little extra stock and also tucking in..

So here are the steps – super simple you just need to remember to keep stirring and don’t cook it too fast!

Here’s what you’ll need and also a dollop of cream cheese at the very end just to add to the creaminess!

Start with your onion, fry until softened slightly then add your garlic, thyme and bacon and fry that off for a couple of minutes…

 

Next in go your mushrooms. I used a mix of portabello and closed cap mushrooms and a knob of butter…

Now add your arborio rice and stir for a few minutes until your rice is all coated.

It’s now time to add some liquid..so start with adding a glass of wine and stir through until it’s burnt off and been absorbed.

Now get your stock and you want to add this ladle by ladle…the key is to add the liquid slowly, stirring continuously…wait for the first ladle of stock to be absorbed before adding the next…repeat this until you’ve used all of the stock or until your rice is tender with a slight bite…

Then it’s time to add your parmesan…be generous!! A large handful and stir through…

 

Finally add a dollop of cream cheese and then serve with a sprinkle of parmesan and some additional fresh thyme leaves and some cracked black pepper. It’s delicious – hope you think so too!

 

It’s not the most photographic food to take a pic of but I promise you it’s tasty!!!!

So to recap here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 onion – finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves – crushed
• 200g Smoked streaky bacon
• 200g Arborio Rice
• 200g Mixed mushrooms – I used portabello mushrooms and closed cap
• 1 glass of wine
• 1 litre of good chicken stock
• Fresh thyme – 5 – 6 sprigs plus extra for garnish
• 1 tbsp Cream cheese
• Very generous handful of Parmesan
• Black pepper

and here’s what you need to do:

• Start by frying off your onion in some butter or olive oil until softened.
• Next add your bacon,  1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves and garlic and fry for a few minutes to brown the bacon.
• Add your mushrooms next and some additional butter if needed
• Now add your arborio rice. Stir through to coat the grains.
• Next add a glass of wine and stir until the liquid has been absorded.
• Now add your stock, ladle by ladle. Making sure the liquid has been absorbed before adding your next ladle. Stir continuously over a medium to low heat.
• Repeat the process until the rice is cooked through with a slight bite. You may not need all of your stock.
• At this stage add your parmesan cheese and stir this through before adding your cream cheese.
• It’s now ready to serve with some additional grated parmesan and a sprinkling of fresh thyme leaves and some black pepper.

Enjoy!

See you next time! xx