Artichoke & Wild Mushroom Farro
Elevate traditional risotto with the nutty ancient grain and springtime bounty.
Weather aside, March arrives like a lion every time. So this month’s half-scatch recipe meets the madness where it’s at.
Fresh mushrooms and shallots tango with frozen artichoke hearts, salty Pecorino, and earthy, comforting farro (or whole grain rice for gluten-free). It is easy enough for a weeknight dinner yet snazzy enough for a dinner party. If you enjoy cooking your heart out, roast fresh artichokes and impress with a gorgeous, enticing garnish.
Friendly reminder: we eat with our eyes first.
Recommended listening: “Stressed Out” by Twenty-One Pilots, “Unwell” by Matchbox Twenty, “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles, “Keep Your Head Up” by Andy Grammar, “Fireflies” by Owl City.
Technique: Deconstructing Artichokes
Packed with antioxidants and fiber, the hearts or whole kit and caboodle are a delicious spring addition to dinner. You can enjoy roasted quarters - leaves and all - with a few quick cuts and careful snipping of thorns. It’s an exercise in culinary meditation and will add eye candy and texture.
Trim. Trim a half inch off the globe's top and bottom of the stem.
Peel. With a peeler, remove the outer skin of the stem until most of the green is gone.
Snip and pull. Use kitchen shears to snip away the thorns on the leaves. Optional: Remove the first few layers of leaves, as they are incredibly fibrous. Leave all of them on if you have time to roast longer, or don’t mind carving them away while eating.
Cut lengthwise. Carefully cut the globe lengthwise into four or eight pieces, depending on size. Store the prepared quarters in acidic water in the fridge to prevent oxidation if you aren't cooking immediately. How: Squeeze the juice of a lemon into a bowl of cold water and add the cut artichokes and juiced lemon halves. Or add a few splashes of bottled lemon juice or white vinegar to the water.
But I Don’t Like Trimming, Peeling & Slicing
Take pride in your timesaving prowess if you want nothing to do with the fanfare of fresh artichokes. The roasted option in the recipe is a bonus since the farro “risotto” calls for plenty of frozen hearts. Canned or jarred artichoke hearts are also affordable, delicious, and preserved at their peak. Drain jarred or canned hearts before adding them to the pot.
Shopping Smart
Artichokes. The peak season for fresh globes is March through May and when artichokes are most likely to be on sale. Look for bright green, firm, unblemished globes. Like melons, ideal chokes will feel firm and heavy for their size.
Mushrooms. I love wild mushrooms like shiitake, trumpet, and chanterelle for their exotic style and aromas. Cultivated mushrooms are less expensive and survive longer in the fridge. If you really hate chopping, buy sliced baby bellas.
Farro. A fiber-rich rustic grain, farro offers a chewy, satisfying bite and impressive protein for a carbohydrate. Look for the stocky, tan ovals by the rice section. Substitute a wild rice blend or short-grain brown rice for a gluten-free dish.
Cheese. Select any hard (aged) cheese that makes you salivate. I recommend piquant Italian classics like Parmesan and Pecorino.
Fresh Italian sausage (optional). If you feel constant pressure to serve meat addicts more fiber, this dish is a convincing argument. Pick up just a few ounces of fresh, bulk sausage from the meat counter to tempt them into submission.
Chef’s Tips
Edible fungi add natural umami to any dish, just like your favorite cut of steak (or the manufactured monosodium glutamate (MSG) in your takeout). The technique for ample extraction is to sauté them with purpose. Aim for deeply browned pieces that have given up almost all of their moisture. Fight the urge to stir until the first sides are bronzed.
On cooking liquid. Water is all you need, but vegetable stock ups the ante. When buying stock, look for unsalted ones without any shady ingredients.
Take help from appliances. The chopping task on this one is the shallots and a hoard of mushrooms. For a speedier process, trim away the bottom of the mushroom stems and pulse the caps briefly in a food processor or blender (two or three pulses should do it). Then all that’s left is the shallot and a quick run of your knife through any herbs.
Taste and adapt seasoning and liquid as you cook. Sure, you can blindly pour and stir your way through risotto and enjoy the outcome. But especially if you choose wild or brown rice, you will need more liquid than with farro to achieve al dente. Taste a bite after ten minutes to gauge your grain’s progress. Taste before adding more liquid from then on out.
Edible Epilogue
To better serve you, my lovely readers, I would appreciate your feedback in a series of polls this month; the first is below. Results are anonymous, unlike the amount of risotto you consume unless you live alone.
Eat + be well,
Christina
Artichoke & Wild Mushroom Farro “Risotto”
Farro cooks quicker than rice, so the dish can come together in about 30 minutes if you power through the prep. Whole grain rice like brown and wild blends will need more cooking liquid and time to become tender. Roasted fresh artichokes make for a dazzling garnish fit for a soirée.
Ingredients
4 ounces of bulk Italian sausage, optional
1 pound of wild mushrooms, stems removed and roughly chopped
1 medium shallot, peeled, trimmed, and minced
1¾ cups (about 9 ounces) of farro or wild rice blend
White wine or any light vinegar, optional
3 to 4 cups of water or vegetable broth, held warm in a pot
12 ounces (1 bag) of frozen artichoke hearts*
Olive oil, for sautéing
Kosher or sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Recommended Seasonings
¼ cup of shredded Pecorino or aged Italian cheese
1 lemon, both the zest and juice
Fresh chives or basil, sliced thin
1 or 2 fresh artichokes, trimmed, peeled, quartered and roasted**
Method
Warm the liquid and cook the sausage (if using). Fill a large pot with a quart of water or vegetable stock. Then in a separate large pot or sauté pan with straight sides, cook the sausage over medium-high heat until it's brown and crispy, forcing it into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Add a little water if it sticks, and scrape it free with your spoon. Drain the sausage on a towel-lined plate and set it aside.
Sauté the mushrooms in the pork drippings or olive oil in a single layer. You might need to work in batches (don’t remove, but pile the first batch to one side of the pot and add the rest). Once the mushrooms are dark and nearly crispy (taste one), add the shallots and cook for a minute or two while stirring. Add the farro or rice and stir one minute more.
Pour in your wine or a quick splash of vinegar, and simmer it away while scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the frozen artichoke hearts, a cup of water, and a pinch or two of salt (add jarred hearts once the farro is tender). I like to use a heatproof measuring cup or large ladle to transfer the hot water. Cook, stirring often, adding more water a cup at a time when the last addition is almost gone. Begin tasting a bite to check for doneness after ten minutes. Aim for tender but chewy farro or rice. Break apart the artichoke hearts as they soften.
Taste and season the farro with salt and black pepper, and add lemon zest, cheese, and chopped herbs, if you like. You can mix the cooked sausage into the farro or sprinkle a little on top of each serving with more chopped herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Notes
*If using jarred or canned artichoke hearts, drain them before adding to the pot.
**To roast quartered artichokes, coat them in olive oil and season with salt. Lay each with a cut-side down on a lined sheet pan and roast at 425° F until mysteriously dark and very tender. Size will determine cooking time; after 25 minutes, begin checking the largest one by inserting a fork into the center and attempting to eat an outer leaf. Flip the quarters once or twice to caramelize all sides.