Creamy rice with portobello mushrooms, chestnuts, and Comté cheese with thyme butter

Instructions

1. 1

   1. Heat the vegetable stock in a saucepan over low heat until steaming but not boiling, and keep it hot throughout the cooking process.

2. 2

   2. In a wide skillet or shallow pot, melt 20 g of the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Add the portobello mushrooms with a pinch of salt and sauté for 6-8 minutes until well browned and their moisture has cooked off. Stir in half of the garlic, cook for 30 seconds more, and transfer the mushrooms to a plate.

3. 3

   3. In the same pot, add 10 g more butter and cook the shallot with a pinch of salt over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the remaining garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

4. 4

   4. Add the bomba rice and stir for 1-2 minutes to toast it lightly so each grain becomes glossy.

5. 5

   5. Pour in the dry white wine and cook, stirring, until the liquid has reduced almost completely, about 2 minutes.

6. 6

   6. Add one ladle of hot stock and cook over medium heat, stirring often. When the rice has absorbed most of the liquid, add another ladle. Repeat this process for 14-16 minutes.

7. 7

   7. Halfway through cooking, add the chopped chestnuts, the reserved mushrooms, half of the thyme leaves, the black pepper, and some of the salt. Continue adding the stock gradually and stirring until the rice is creamy and fluid, fully cooked but still slightly firm in the center. Adjust with a little extra stock if you want it looser.

8. 8

   8. While the rice finishes, make the thyme butter: in a small skillet or saucepan, melt the remaining 20 g butter over very low heat for 1 minute. Add the remaining thyme and the lemon zest, stir for 30 seconds, and remove from the heat.

9. 9

   9. When the rice is ready, turn off the heat and add the grated Comté cheese. Stir vigorously for 30-45 seconds to enrich and emulsify the rice. Fold in the thyme butter and adjust the salt.

10. 10

    10. Let it rest for 1 minute. Serve immediately and finish with the chopped fresh parsley on top. If desired, warm the plates in a 200°F/95°C oven for 5 minutes before serving.