Abalone and wild mushroom risotto recipe by Kevin Grant paired with Ataraxia Chardonnay wine.
Ingredients
Risotto
45 ml canola oil ('you want a bland oil')
300 g Arborio rice
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
250 ml white wine ('Ataraxia Sauvignon Blanc')
650 ml fish stock ('plus a little extra for reheating')
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Mushroom Paste
100 g butter
1 punnet of button mushrooms, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
250 ml fresh cream
1 preserved fig, chopped
15 ml fish sauce
1 punnet of wild mushrooms
baby abalone in brine ('farmed by Abagold in Hermanns' New Harbour')
handful of fresh parsley, chopped
fresh watercress for garnishing
Recipe
Serves 6
Heat the canola oil in a moderately hot pan and fry the rice for 1 minute. Add the onion and garlic. Combine wine and fish stock and slowly incorporate the mixture, about 100 ml at a time, until all the liquid has been added. Season to taste.
For the mushroom paste, heat half the butter and fry the button mushrooms and onion until well cooked. Add the cream, fig and fish sauce and leave to simmer over moderate heat until the mixture thickens. Set aside and blend to a fine paste while the mixture is still warm.
In another pan, add the remaining butter and wild mushrooms and fry until the mushrooms start to turn golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside. Using the same pan, scoop on the abalone and heat with a little of the brine. Glaze the pan with a little butter and add the parsley. Keep warm. ('The abalone are usually slightly chewy.')
Meanwhile, reheat the risotto with the extra fish stock. Add the mushroom paste and allow to warm through, stirring regularly.
To serve, divide the risotto among six plates, arrange the abalone and wild mushrooms on top and garnish with fresh watercress.
Wine Pairing
Ataraxia Chardonnay
Recipe courtesy of good friend and chef Rudolph van der Berg