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Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 200g wild mushrooms
- 200g arborio rice
- 100ml white wine
- 700ml vegetable stock, heated
- 100g Parmesan, grated
- 2 tbsp butter
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- For the crispy cheddar:
- 150g Cheddar cheese, diced
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 5 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- To serve:
- 1 tbsp chopped chives
- For the wild mushroom risotto: In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until translucent, about three minutes. Add the minced garlic and sliced wild mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms are golden brown and any liquid has evaporated. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, add the arborio rice and cook for two minutes, stirring constantly until the rice is lightly toasted. Pour in the white wine and cook until it’s mostly absorbed by the rice. Begin adding the warm stock to the rice, one ladleful at a time. Stir frequently and allow the liquid to be absorbed before adding more.
- Continue this process until the rice is creamy and cooked al dente, which should take about 18-20 minutes. Stir in the cooked mushrooms, grated Parmesan cheese, butter, salt and pepper. Cook for an additional two minutes until everything is well combined and creamy. Remove from heat and garnish with fresh thyme leaves.
- For the crispy Cheddar bites: Set up a breading station with three shallow bowls. Fill one with flour, one with the beaten eggs, and one with panko breadcrumbs. Dip each Cheddar cheese cube into the flour, then into the beaten eggs, and finally coat it with panko breadcrumbs. Make sure the cheese is well coated at each step.
- Heat oil in a deep pot to 175 degrees. Carefully place the coated cheese bites into the hot oil and fry until they are golden brown and crisp, about two minutes. Fry in batches to avoid overcrowding. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cheese bites from the oil and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil.
- Serve the risotto in a bowl with the Cheddar bites on top. Garnish with chopped chives.
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