Posted this to my veg listservs; forgive the overexplanation of
procedural stuff; I know y'all know how to make risotto, but many
people there don't.
I don't have quantities for this, unfortunately, as I kind of made it
up as I went along, but I will definitely make it again, 'cause it's
so yummy, and I'll send quantities then if I think of it.
Shiitake Risotto
1) Pour boiling water over a handful of sliced dried shiitakes and
let them soak while you assemble the other ingredients (if you don't
have the sliced ones, pour boiling water over the whole ones, let
soak for 20-30 minutes, then pull out, cut off stems, and slice).
2) Grab a small and a medium saucepan. In the medium saucepan, pour
in a glug or three of good olive oil, and add some arborio rice. Use
as much as you need. I think I put in around a cup and a half, but I
couldn't swear to it. Chop half an onion and toss it in there. Put
the heat on medium and start cooking the dry rice, stirring
occasionally, while you do the other stuff.
3) The mushrooms will probably have given up a bit of sand, and it
will probably have sunk to the bottom of the container of water. The
mushrooms are floating, so pull them out, and then pour off the clear
water, leaving the sandy bottom. All this goes in the small pot,
along with some more water (the total volume of the water should be
at least 4-6 times the amount of rice you're using) and a couple
tablespoons of vegan chicken broth powder. Add ground black pepper
to taste (I used quite a bit, and it turned out really well.) Turn
that pot on high and bring to a boil as you stir the dry rice
mixture.
4) When the liquid comes to a boil, add a few cups of it to the
rice. It should be enough to cover the rice, and then some, but
leave a few cups of liquid in the small pot. Leave the rest of the
liquid in the small pot at a simmer -- you want it to be just at a
boil the whole time.
5) Now stir constantly, keeping the rice at a simmer, until the
mixture is thick and most of the liquid seems absorbed. You're going
more for the consistency of, ummmm, let me think. More for the
consistency of cottage cheese than of cooked rice. It's like a very
thick rice stew.
6) When most of the liquid seems absorbed, add a ladle of liquid,
and stir until that bit of liquid is mostly absorbed. Keep doing
this for 20-30 minutes, testing the rice near the end until it's the
doneness you want.
7) If I were doing dairy today, I would take the risotto off the
heat at the end and stir in a cup or so of parmesan cheese, but
that's not necessary. Serve immediately (but it's good later, too,
and if I had a pat of vegan margarine to put on top, I would've done
that, as well).
What not to do: splash boiling mushroom broth on your bare midriff.
serene