Risotto with chestnuts, mushrooms and spinach

This risotto is full of flavour and is perfect for a Sunday lunch.

Materials:

300g roasted chestnuts, peeled
One small onion, chopped
One small clove of garlic, finely chopped
500g rice for risotto (arborio or carnaroli)
125g small white mushrooms, cleaned, cut into 4
125g portobello mushrooms cut to the size of the white mushrooms
400g spinach, cleaned
1900ml chicken stock (homemade or diluted with chicken cubes)
100ml extra virgin olive oil
200g butter, cubed
50g butter for the spinach
75g grated parmesan
a few sprigs of parsley for garnish
salt, pepper

Procedure

Step 1

For the roasted chestnuts, Preheat the oven to 180°C. Score the chestnuts crosswise on top and bottom and bake them in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until their skins open. Transfer them to a bowl and cover them with cling film. Set aside for 10 minutes to soften, then peel.

Step 2

Put the cleaned chestnuts, two tablespoons of olive oil, and one tablespoon of butter in a baking dish. Bake them in the oven at 160°C for 20 minutes until they soften and take on colour.

Step 3

Heat the chicken stock on low heat. In a large pan, sauté the mushrooms in one and a half tablespoons of butter and one and a half tablespoons of olive oil until they release their liquid and take on colour. Add the chestnuts, 1/3 cup chicken stock, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

Step 4

Sauté the onions and garlic until soft in the remaining olive oil and one tablespoon of butter. Add the rice and stir until the butter covers it. Immediately add half a cup of stock and let it absorb, stirring constantly. Continue the process until the rice is cooked.

You may not need to add all the stock.

Step 5

Take the pot off the heat and add the rest of the butter, salt, pepper and grated cheese. Stir with a fork until the butter melts. At the end, add the mushrooms and chestnuts and mix well. Cover the pot with a towel and the lid, and leave the risotto in a warm place.

Step 6

Prepare the spinach. Soak it in a little water and drain it well. Sauté the spinach with 50g. butter and add salt and pepper. Arrange the spinach around the edges of a plate, and serve the risotto in the middle. Garnish with parsley.

Recipe by Georgia Kofina. Translated by Paul Antonopoulos.

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