Wild Mushroom & Spinach Risotto with Grafton Smoked Cheddar

by Chef David A. Smith, The Old Tavern at Grafton, Vermont

• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 1 bottle white wine, Chardonnay
• 1 large sweet onion, thin julienne
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• ½ lb baby spinach
• 1.5 quarts miso broth (combine yellow miso & hot water)
• 6 oz Grafton Maple Smoked Cheddar, grated
• 4 oz unsalted butter
• 1 bulb roasted garlic (chopped)
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese
• ½ lb shitake mushrooms
• ½ lb cremini mushrooms
• ½ lb oyster mushrooms
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar
• Sea salt
• Fresh ground black pepper
  

Place a thick bottomed sauce pot on medium low heat. Sauté mushrooms in three batches with the olive oil and 1 T butter. Cook to golden brown. Add splash balsamic vinegar to caramelize each batch of mushrooms. Set aside cooked mushrooms.

In the same pot, on medium low heat, heat 1 T butter, 1 T olive oil. Add onion and shallot and sauté until caramelized. Add 2 oz of the white wine to deglaze.

Add Arborio rice with 2 T olive oil and stir well. Add 6 oz stock, 2 oz wine and 1 t butter, continually stirring the rice. Keep repeating the stock, wine and butter combination until all broth is absorbed (approx. 20-25 mins). Cook to al dente.

Add spinach until wilted, then the roasted garlic, Grafton cheddar and parmesan. Add mushrooms, and season dish with salt and pepper.