A lot of people don't know this, but Stepladder Ranch & Creamery is the perfect growing environment for Chanterelle mushrooms.
When available, which is scarce, we sell to select retail partners such as Sigona's in the Bay Area.
One of our favorite ways to eat Chanerelles is in this simple, easy and creamy risotto recipe.
What makes Chanterelles so unique, you ask? Chanterelle mushrooms have such a unique growing environment that they can't be commercially re-created or grown. They require symbiotic relationships with other plants and a period of heavy rain followed by several days of heat and humidity for optimal growth. Due to their complexity, they are rare and can be very expensive, but their buttery flavor is unmatched and worth it every season!
Shout out to the blog Spend with Pennies, for the recipe and inspiration, we simply modified it to use Chanterelles and Cultured Butter. We also typically add Cabrillo or another Stepladder cheese to the original recipe featuring Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 oz mushrooms, sliced or diced small
- 1/4 c yellow onion chopped
- 2 Tbs salted butter
- 1 c rice
- 1/2 c white wine
- 3 c chicken or veggie broth
- 1/3 c grated cheese
- 1/3 c heavy cream
- cooked bacon, diced, optional
- fresh parsley for garnish, optional
Directions
- Warm the broth in a saucepan, bring to a low simmer
- Add olive oil and onion to a saucepan, cook until tender then add in butter and mushrooms, cook until softened
- Add rice and cook until the rice starts to lightly brown, about 5 minutes
- add wine and cook until evaporated while stirring
- Add warmed broth 1/2 c at a time, stirring until evaporated after each addition; process takes 20 minutes or so
- When thickened, add heavy cream, stir another 10 minutes until thickened again
- Optional - add the cooked bacon to bring flavors together before serving - you can also begin the recipe using the bacon grease instead of olive oil if using this ingredient - this adds so much flavor!
- Taste, add salt, pepper or other seasonings as well as cheese; reserve a few tablespoons of cheese for garnish and parsley
