LOBSTER MUSHROOM RISOTTO WITH PRAWNS AND CHERRY TOMATOES

When I went to get my morning coffee, Erik, a barista at Caffe Luxxe, told me about the dinner he made the night before. Erik is a trained chef and one of my favorite reasons for getting coffee. He's always working on something new and has endless ideas for what to make for dinner. He told me about his risotto with lobster mushrooms, and after salivating directly into my coffee (gross!) I drove immediately to the farmer's market and bought a whole mess of supplies. The lobster mushrooms have a delicious and delicate flavor, the saffron adds earthy spice, and the sweetness of the prawns and tomatoes bring the whole thing together. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3/4 pound prawns, shelled, deveined, and de-tailed

3/4 cup halved cherry tomatoes

1/2 pound lobster mushrooms, cleaned and chopped into bite size pieces

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups arborio rice

1 cup dry white wine (I used a dry Torrontes)

4 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup grated Parmeggiano

1/4 cup butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons thyme, finely chopped

pinch of saffron

salt

pepper

Directions:

Heat the stock in a pot to a simmer. In a large saucepan over medium heat, sweat half of the onions and one clove of garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil. Once the onions get a little translucent, add the mushrooms and half of the thyme. Saute until the mushrooms are just tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer everything to a bowl, and drizzle the other tablespoon of olive oil in the saucepan. Add the rest of the onion, garlic, and time. Once translucent, add the rice and a tablespoon of butter and stir until opaque, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and saffron, stirring to combine. Once the wine has been absorbed, ladle in 1/2 a cup of the stock. Stir until absorbed, about 3 minutes, then add again. Keep adding until the rice is al dente. After the fourth ladling, add the mushroom mixture and combine. Meanwhile, heat a bit of olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat and toss the shrimp with a little salt and pepper. Cook the shrimp for 2 minutes per side, or until pink and firm. Cut the shrimp into thirds. When the rice is done, add the shrimp and tomatoes, stirring to combine. Off the heat, add the rest of the butter and the parm, stirring until silky and shiny. Add salt and pepper to taste. Eat immediately. Enjoy!