The Happy Home Cook: Risotto with Shiitake, Chinese Sausage and Chicken Livers
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Risotto with Shiitake, Chinese Sausage and Chicken Livers
Nodding to current trends and tastes, I tweaked the risotto recipe that used Golden Mushroom Soup. I updated the original name (Risotto with Chinese Black Mushrooms and Chicken Livers) because over the years, shiitake has become familiar to the public.
This update adds Chinese sausage and fish sauce for umami (a word/concept unknown in the U.S. in the 80s), dry sherry, and thyme (replacing sage in the original).
All this tweaking has resulted in a richer and more flavorful contemporary dish, and though the recipe didn’t win then, I’d say it’s a winner now!
Ingredients
5 medium-size dried shiitake mushrooms
1 Chinese-style sausage (lap cheong)
2 Tb olive oil, divided
1/2 lb chicken livers, rinsed & drained
2 tsp minced garlic, divided
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1-1/2 cans Campbell’s Golden Mushroom Soup (not Cream of Mushroom)
3 Tb unsalted butter, divided
1 medium onion, diced
1 bay leaf
1 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup dry sherry or white wine
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 tsp (or more) fish sauce
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 green onions, including tops, cut into 1/4” pieces
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Chopped parsley for garnish
Procedure
Rinse dried shiitake under running water and soak in 2 cups of hot water for 30 minutes. Cut off stems and discard. Slice mushrooms into thin strips and reserve. Strain soaking liquid into a saucepan.
Meanwhile, steam Chinese sausage over simmering water, about 10 minutes. Cool, slice thinly (about 1/8”), and reserve.
Add 1 Tb olive oil to a skillet. Saute chicken livers over medium-high heat until livers are firm but still pink inside, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 tsp garlic and thyme leaves and cook until fragrant. Season with salt and black pepper. Transfer livers to a chopping board, cut into 1/2” pieces, and reserve in a bowl with the garlic-thyme-olive oil from the skillet.
Whisk Golden Mushroom Soup and 1 cup water into the soaking liquid. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and maintain a gentle simmer.
Combine 2 Tb butter and remaining 1 Tb olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Saute remaining 1 tsp garlic, onion and bay leaf, about 2-3 minutes. Add reserved shiitake and cook for another minute.
Add Arborio rice and stir until grains are translucent and coated with butter. Add dry sherry and continue stirring until liquid is absorbed, then drop in the thyme sprigs. Start ladling the hot mushroom broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each addition of broth is absorbed. Continue this process and keep stirring until rice is al dente (taste periodically) and broth is creamy, about 20-25 minutes. (Note: Reserve any leftover broth for later use.)
Discard bay leaf and thyme stems. Add reserved sausage and liver, and stir until heated through. Season to taste with fish sauce and black pepper.
Turn heat off. Add remaining 1 Tb butter, green onion and Parmesan, and mix thoroughly.
Serve immediately. Sprinkle each serving with more Parmesan cheese and garnish with chopped parsley.
Serves 4 as a first course or side dish.
Note: In California, Campbell’s Golden Mushroom Soup is available at Safeway; if not available at your supermarket, substitute 1-1/2 cans Campbell’s Chicken Broth.
If you’re not fond of chicken livers, use leftover or purchased roast chicken cut in 1/2” pieces.
Voltaire Gungab
Voltaire Gungab is based in San Francisco and currently retired after working in advertising/marketing and editing scientific articles. A self-professed foodie and recipe hound, he follows the San Francisco food scene avidly and occasionally prepares theme dinners for friends.
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