Loto rice soaks up chicken stock and is dotted with caramelized mushrooms and shallots.
This recipe is part of our Family Dinner Book Club menu for Freedom Soup.
Loto rice is a new ingredient for me. I received it in my produce box recently and once I read that it is a cousin to arborio I couldn’t wait to use it. I love creamy and delicious risotto. It is one of my favorite comfort foods and I thoroughly enjoy getting into the zone of stirring the risotto clockwise until it is perfectly plump with chicken stock and parmesan cheese.
For those who don’t enjoy standing at the stove and stirring, stirring, stirring, loto rice is what you need. It is a short-grained rice just like arborio, with a deeper hue, and it cooks just a bit quicker. I developed this recipe to require less attention, and unlike traditional risotto, you add all the liquid all at once!
It is my firm belief that nothing goes better with creamy rice than mushrooms, and when you slowly caramelize them with shallots, there might not be a better dish to tuck into during the cold winter months.
Caramelized Mushroom Loto
Creamy rice with caramelized shallots and mushrooms. Nothing better!
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 large shallot, halved and thinly sliced
- 8 ounces mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1 cup loto rice
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the sliced shallots and chopped mushrooms. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are dark brown and caramelized, about 10 minutes.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butte, and the rice and stir to coat in the melting butter. Cook, stirring constantly, until the rice is translucent, about 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken stock, the remaining salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the stock is absorbed and the rice is creamy, about 20 minutes.