I can not begin to explain in words how divine this mushroom buckwheat risotto with goats curd recipe is. It does take a little elbow grease and uses some ingredients that may not be an every day pantry staple. But it is unquestionable worth the effort. The earthy, meaty portobello mushrooms nestle on top of the creamy buckwheat risotto and are bought together in a glorious finish with tangy goats curd… and of course, who could forget the truffle oil. Sigh.

mushroom buckwheat risotto with goats curd

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serves

2 people

preparation time

20 minutes

cooking time

20 minutes

ingredients

• 1/3 cup raw buckwheat
• 1/2 small onion, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, finely sliced
• 2 cups hot stock (chicken or vegetable)
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/3 cup dried shiitake
• 2 large portobello mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons fresh marjoram
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/3 cup grated manchego cheese
• large spoonful soft goats curd*
• salt and pepper to taste
• truffle oil (optional but amazing!)

method

Boil the kettle and pour about 1/3 cup of water over the dried shiitake mushrooms in a bowl and sit aside.

Fill a saucepan with the stock and place on top of the stove to bring to boil. Once boiling, turn to a very low simmer and cover. In another saucepan on medium heat sauté onion and garlic in olive oil. Once transparent add buckwheat and and stir continuously for 2-3 minutes.

Turn up the heat and add the wine. This will bubble and spit so be careful! Keep stirring until all the wine is absorbed. Now add some of the hot stock and continue to stir through until taken up by the buckwheat grains.

Take the soaked dried shiitake from the bowl of water and finely chop. Add these in with the next ladle of stock. Continue with this process of adding stock until buckwheat becomes soften through. The process should take approximately 15-20 minutes. (There may be some stock left over, dependent on the consistency of your risotto).

Whilst the risotto is cooking, place the sliced portotbello mushrooms in a hot pan with a good splash of rice bran oil and the chopped marjoram and thyme. Using tongs, turn them every 3-4 minutes creating a lovely deep crust on the mushrooms as you do so. This process should take at least 10-15 minutes.

Once the buckwheat risotto is ready (as described above), turn to low heat and stir through parsley, manchego, liquid from soaked shiitakes and a good seasoning of salt and pepper. Place lid on saucepan and leave for 1-2 minutes to settle.

To serve, place a serve of the buckwheat risotto on a plate, top with the portobello mushrooms and finely a good dollop of goats curd. It using, finish with a drizzle of truffle oil.

Hint: Traditionally a risotto should be oozy on the plate when served.

*If you cannot find goats curd, then use some lovely creamy chevre instead.

nutritional information

• Buckwheat is not only an easy substitute for risotto rice, but it gives the classic risotto a complex carbohydrate spin. This means not only is the risotto more sustaining, but it is also rich in B vitamins, minerals and the anti viral amino acid lysine.
• The alcohol will be cooked out of the wine during the heating process. The wine can be omitted, however the risotto will definitely lose some of its depth of flavour. Add extra shiitake to the base recipe to combat this.
• Goats and sheep cheese are cow’s milk alternatives that are often tolerated better digestively. If you can not eat any diary or are vegan you could omit the cheeses. I would definitely use the truffle oil though!

Jessica Cox

Jessica Cox is a qualified practicing Nutritionist with a Bachelor Health Science (Nutrition) and over 15 years of clinical experience. She is the founder and director JCN Clinic, published author and established recipe developer. Jessica is well respected within health and wellness space for her no fad approach and use of evidence-based nutrition.