Mushroom Quartet Farrotto

This farrotto recipe by 11th grader Graciella Dizon, from Nathaniel Narbonne Senior High School in Los Angeles, California, was the Regional winner in the 2018 Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) Meatless Monday Recipe Contest. This year’s theme was “Go with Grains.”

Serves 6.

Ingredients:

• 5 tbsp. olive oil
• 1⁄2 large brown onion, minced
• 3 large bell peppers (red, orange, yellow), finely diced
• 2 large Portobello mushrooms, cut into large dices, reserve stems
• 4 oz. Shimeji mushrooms (or use Bunashimeji mushrooms), remove base and reserve, separate individual mushrooms with hands
• 4 oz. Maiitake mushrooms, remove base and reserve, separate petals with hands
• 4 oz. Oyster mushrooms, reserve stems, tear with hands
• 3 tsp. kosher salt (or 2 1⁄4 tsp. sea salt), divided
• 3 cups Farro
• 8 cups (64 fl. oz) vegetable stock, heated with reserved mushroom stems and bases
• 2 sprigs (1 tbsp.) fresh Rosemary, discard stems, finely mince leaves
• 2 lemons, juiced
• 1⁄2 stick of salted butter (4 tbsp.), cut into pieces

Directions:

In a large pot, heat vegetable stock and 1 teaspoon of salt with clean mushroom stems and bases from Portobello, Shimeji, Maiitake and Oyster mushrooms. Bring stock to a boil then add the farro grains and cover with a lid. Let the farro cook for 35 minutes while following the steps to cook the rest of the ingredients.

In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil then place the minced onions and coat with oil. Once onions become translucent, (about 3 mins. on medium heat) add the diced bell peppers and sauté for one minute. On high heat, add all four types of mushrooms and sprinkle in the salt then sauté the mushrooms. If mushrooms are crowded in the pan, sauté mushrooms in batches starting with the larger thicker mushrooms to the smaller mushrooms in order to let all mushrooms shrink and release moisture. Make sure to stir occasionally to not burn the mushrooms. Before the farro absorbs most of the stock from the pot, remove the stems and bases. Discard them and continue boiling the farro grains in the stock.

After mushrooms have browned and decreased in size, turn to medium heat again. If the farro is still cooking, turn off the heat on the sauté pan once the mushrooms are done cooking. Once the farro is ready, spoon in the farro grains and the remaining liquid from the pot to the sauté pan.

Sprinkle in the finely minced Rosemary in the sauté pan and stir until the farro grains are thoroughly incorporated with all of the ingredients.

Remove the mushroom farro risotto from the sauté pan after all the ingredients have been heated together and place into a large bowl. Add the lemon juice and butter to the bowl. Combine them well with the mushroom farro risotto until all of the butter has been melted. Finally, plate the mushroom farro risotto and garnish with minced Rosemary to your liking. Serve immediately.