Wild Mushroom Risotto & Swordfish Provencal

Late yesterday, I decided to cook the frozen swordfish and pair it with a wild mushroom risotto. I still had a few fresh mushrooms, which weren’t going to last forever, and I went back and forth between using arborio rice and farro, but ultimately picked rice, as easier to time—and I have more of it! Since I am cooking for only two, the quantities below are small, but could easily be doubled for 4 or 5, or in the case of the risotto to make it a vegetarian main course.

 Wild Mushroom Risotto
 First, I soaked about ¼ ounce of dried mushrooms in very hot water for about 30 minutes, while working on other prep. I used about a quarter pound of white mushrooms, sauteed in butter and olive oil (either one alone is fine) along with the white part of a scallion (saving the green for garnish). I rinsed the dried mushrooms under running water (and saved the water (filtered through a paper towel) for use in the risotto), chopped them, and added them to the fresh mushrooms for the final few minutes of cooking.

 Now for the risotto. Someone, maybe Mark Bittman, suggested that you don’t really need to stir the risotto constantly. By adding boiling liquid about a half cup at a time, you can walk away and work on other parts of the dinner or watch the news. I was using 2/3 of a cup of arborio rice, so I added about 1½ cups of water to the mushroom liquid and brought it to a slow boil.

 I sauteed the rice in about a tablespoon of butter and a half-teaspoon of salt until lightly coated and then added a finely chopped small sweet red pepper (really just for color) and about ¼ cup of white wine (vermouth works too, or skip this part). Then I started adding boiling liquid, stirring well after each addition. Before I was done (after about 30 minutes, you need to taste it to determine doneness), I had probably added an additional half cup of water. When the rice was almost done, I stirred in the mushrooms, and then the saved scallion greens and about two tablespoons of chopped parsley. I like some parmesan cheese on my risotto, so I used a microplane to grate a bit on top. There was more than enough for two side-dish servings— and some lunch today.

 Ingredients:
2/3 cup arborio rice
3 tablespoons butter and/or olive oil, 2 for the mushrooms
4 ounces fresh mushrooms
¼ ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1 scallion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 small red pepper, about 2 tablespoons finely chopped (optional)
¼ cup white wine or vermouth water

I wanted to make the swordfish recipe very simple since the risotto had several steps. This is a winter version of a summer recipe I use when cooking swordfish on the grill, but still not grilling weather here in Connecticut. I also served a small salad. Look for more on salads tomorrow. My daughter Laura says it’s my superpower!

Swordfish Provencal (Winter version)
10 ounces swordfish
¼ cup diced tomatoes—mine were fire-roasted
8-10 chopped olives, I used green but black would be good too
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 chopped scallion
1 tablespoon of olive oil
splash of white wine (or water)

Brown the swordfish in the olive oil, about 4 minutes per side and remove to plate to finish sauce. Deglaze the pan with wine or water, then add all the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine well, adding additional wine or water if needed. Pour on top of fish.