Just finished devouring our lamb tacos and left with a lamb shoulder carcass? Save that carcass to make a beautifully rich and flavorful lamb broth for our mushroom and pea risotto.
However, if you have not yet made our lamb tacos and are craving a wonderfully creamy mushroom risotto, try our recipe with store-bought lamb or chicken stock instead! In this case, skip the ingredients and instructions below for making the lamb broth.
Need-to-Know
Vegetables and Herbs that May be Added to Broth
Developing the broth is an opportunity to empty the contents of your fridge. If you have leftover fresh herbs that you won’t use, toss them in. If you have vegetables that may go unconsumed, toss them in. Some excellent additions are as follows:
- Red pepper
- Green pepper
- Squash
- Green onions
- Garlic
- Thyme
- Chives
- Tarragon
- Sage
The Sauté Pan Should Be 2.5 Inches Deep
Use a pan that is at least 2.5 to 3 inches (6.3 to 7.6 centimeters) deep for the risotto. The pan should not be so vast that the grains of rice cannot interact with each other throughout the cooking process.
Don’t Rinse the Rice
Whether you are using Arborio or Carnaroli rice, do not rinse the rice! For the creamy texture of Italian risotto, you require the starches to be present in the rice grains as you cook them.
The Stock Must Be Hot
Whether you are buying the stock for this recipe or cooking up our lamb broth, the broth must be hot when added to the risotto. The reason for this is to ensure that the risotto is continuing to cook at the same temperature and is not continuously cooled down by the addition of the broth.
Add Broth in Increments
When adding the broth to the risotto, you will need to measure out 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup at a time. The key is to allow the rice to slowly absorb 75% of the broth; at which point, add more broth. The risotto should never be dry and allowed to stick to the pan. If it is too dry and allowed to stick to the pan, it may burn.
Stir the Risotto Often
As the risotto is cooking, continue to sauté it intermittently. Stirring must not be constant, which will create a glue-like substance but must not be too infrequent to burn the rice. Find a balance. Additionally, consider tossing the rice in the pan in a circular motion without using a spoon from time to time. This method will allow the rice grains to interact with one another without interfering with the cooking process.
The Perfect Risotto is Al Dente
Cook the rice just enough so that there remains a texture or bite to each grain of rice. Think al dente pasta and how its texture feels when cooked. The consistency should never be mushy.
Also, note that the risotto should be wet when it is finished.
Reheating and Storage
Although the starch permits this dish to be perfectly creamy, it also thickens over time in the fridge.
So, if you have leftover risotto, store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It may be consumed for up to 5 days.
To reheat the risotto, place in a saucepan on the stovetop at medium heat. Warm 1/4 cup of broth over the stovetop. Remove the warm broth from the saucepan and place it in a liquid measuring cup. Add risotto to the saucepan. Pour in warm broth and add 1 tablespoon of butter and stir. As an alternative to the broth, you may add water if you do not have any broth in your fridge. These steps will allow you to restore the creaminess to your risotto.
For each cup of risotto, you must add 1/4 cup broth and 1 tablespoon butter. Adjust the ratios according to the amount of risotto that you are reheating.
Wine Pairing
Visit your local liquor store and request a bottle featuring these characteristics to find the perfect pair. Consider a Grüner Veltliner from Austria.
- Color: white
- Notes: grapefruit, lemon, white pepper, white flowers, and herbs
- Geography: old world
- Structure: light body and high acidity
Equipment
Ingredients
Lamb Broth
- 1 lamb shoulder carcass
- 2 stalks celery cut into 3 segments
- 2 carrots cut into 3 segments
- 1 yellow onion cut into 4 pieces
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 1 tbsp green onions optional
- 1 cup flat-leaf parsley roughly chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 tsp salt
- ground pepper several grinds around the pot
- water to fill 3/4 of the pot
Risotto
- 1 1/2 cups Arborio or Carnaroli Rice
- 5 cups lamb broth from scratch or store-bought lamb or chicken stock
- 3 1/2 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 cups shiitake and crimini mushrooms thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup frozen peas
- 2 shallots minced
- 1/2 tbsp lemon juice or 1/2 lemon squeezed
- 8 sprigs thyme leaves
- 1/4 tsp salt
- ground pepper several grinds around the pan
Gremolata
- 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
- 1 tbsp lemon juice or 1 lemon squeezed
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- ground pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Prepare the Broth
- Cut celery, carrots (into three segments), and skin-on onion (into 4 pieces). Roughly chop parsley. Set aside.
- Place a pot or Dutch oven on the stovetop at medium heat. Add oil and allow it to heat.
- Add celery, carrots, skin-on onion, rosemary sprigs, green onion (optional), and parsley to the pot or Dutch oven. Sauté for 3-5 minutes.
- Place the carcass into the pot or Dutch oven.
- Fill the pot 3/4 full with water.
- Add salt and ground pepper to the pot or Dutch oven. Increase the stovetop to high heat.
- When the broth begins to boil, cover the pot with its lid, lower the temperature of the stovetop to low heat and cook for 4 hours.
- For the last hour, raise the stovetop to medium heat and remove the lid to reduce the broth.
- Strain broth through a fine seive and set aside. When you add the broth to the risotto, it should be warm.
2. Make Gremolata
- Finely chop flat-leaf parsley and mince garlic. Juice and zest lemon. Set aside.
- Combine flat-leaf parsley, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and ground pepper in a mixing bowl.
3. For the Risotto
a. Prepare Vegetables and Cheese
- Wash, dry, and thinly slice mushrooms. Peel and mince the shallots. Set aside.
- Grate Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
b. Sauté the Mushrooms in a Separate Pan
- Place sauté pan on the stovetop at medium heat.
- Pour 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil into a sauté pan, and sprinkle in mushrooms.
- Sauté for 5-7 minutes or until tender.
- Season with salt and ground pepper.
- Remove from heat and set aside.
c. Sauté Shallots
- Place a separate sauté pan on the stovetop at medium heat.
- Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the pan and sprinkle in shallots.
- Sauté for 3 minutes or until translucent.
d. Stir Rice with Oil until Golden, then Add Wine and Broth
- Add rice. Stir, coating the rice with the oil.
- Sauté for 3 minutes or until the rice develops a light golden color.
- Add white wine. Lower the stovetop to medium-low heat to a slow simmer.
- When the wine is about 75% absorbed into the rice, add 1/2 cup of lamb broth. Stir occasionally and monitor closely.
e. Cook Slowly and Periodically Add Broth
- When the rice has absorbed 75% of the liquid, add another 1/2 cup of lamb broth.
- Stir with a spoon or toss rice occasionally, without using a spoon, in the pan.
- Repeat these steps until all 5 cups of lamb broth are added. This process should take 30 minutes.
- When the rice is al dente, remove it from the heat.
f. Stir in Mushrooms, Peas, and Cheese
- Stir in cooked mushrooms, frozen peas, Parmesan cheese, thyme leaves, and lemon juice.
g. Let's Plate
- Garnish with gremolata.
- Serve and enjoy!
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