A lady came to the restaurant recently and asked to see me. My heart always sinks when this happens. I knew since she had yet to eat she was probably going to ask me to cook something impossible, I expected this was not going to be a two minute request and I was already under pressure in the kitchen. I was not far wrong. She wanted a risotto, then fired off a long list of things she could not eat: butter, cream, meat, fish, any vegetables, chilli, other spices, peppercorns…..she took fifteen minutes to list them all….and all I was left with was rice. She mentioned that she was on some sort of medication and could only eat rice and MUSHROOM. Small mercy. With mushroom on my side, I was going to have an easy ride. I have called this Small Mercy Mushroom Risotto and I have never made a risotto like it. But it tasted surprisingly good….and she was happy!

Serving Size: 2

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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200 grams mushroom
200 grams Arborio rice
5 grams thyme
5 grams parsley -- chopped
5 grams basil -- shredded
10 milliliters olive oil
5 grams garlic -- chopped
2 cloves garlic
4 drops lemon juice
75 milliliters white wine
To taste salt

Take 3/4th volume of mushroom in a baking tray. Add 2 cloves of garlic and thyme and rub it on mushroom. At 160 deg centigrade for 40 mins cook mushrooms in the oven till it gets dry. Cool the mixture and blend it to a fine paste.

Cut rest of the mushroom in 1/4 inch dice.

Heat a saucepan, add olive oil, chopped garlic and sauté it. Add mushroom and continue sautéing . After 3-4 mins add Arborio Rice and stir till the rice changes to translucent . Deglaze the pan with white wine and cook till the wine evaporates. Now add (two times the quantity of rice) water gradually till the al-dente stage of rice.

Add mushroom paste to cooked rice.
Do seasoning with salt. Squeeze some lemon juice to it.
Serve it in a pasta plate, garnished with Basil sprig

Per Serving : 465 Calories; 5g Fat (10.8% calories from fat); 10g Protein; 87g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 28mg Sodium. Exchanges: 5 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat.