Spring Morel Mushroom Risotto
👨🍳 Chefy Tip: Sauté morels first, then remove — you want them dry and browning, not stewing in their own liquid. Add rice to the fat left in the pan and toast it until edges go translucent before any liquid hits. 🍳 Chefy Tip: Finish risotto off the heat with cold butter and cheese — that's the real emulsion.
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Ingredients
Shop ingredientsInstructions
Clean morels, rinsing hollow caps. Halve larger pieces.
Sauté morels in 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat 3–4 minutes. Set aside.
In same pan, cook shallot in remaining oil and 1 tbsp butter 2 minutes. Add garlic 1 minute.
Toast arborio rice 2 minutes. Add wine, stir until absorbed.
Add warm broth one ladle at a time, stirring until absorbed, about 20–25 minutes.
Off heat, stir in remaining butter and parmesan. Fold in morels, adjust seasoning and serve.
Arborio rice contains high levels of amylopectin starch — the same starch released by stirring that gives risotto its signature creaminess without any cream. Morel mushrooms grow wild in forests during spring and are among the most limited commercially cultivated mushrooms, making fresh morels a true seasonal ingredient.