Mushroom & Pine Nut Risotto Cakes By Jennifer Andrews Of The Best Thing I Ever Ate...And Then Some

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   Heat the oil and half the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and crimini mushrooms and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are lightly browned. Next, add the porcini mushrooms and pine nuts and cook for about a minute. Add the rice and cook, stirring, for about a minute.

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   Add about a cup of the liquid and stir constantly until the rice has absorbed the liquid. Begin adding more liquid, roughly half a cup at a time while stirring constantly, ensuring that each cupful of liquid has been absorbed before adding more. Continue adding liquid in this way until the rice is al dente, about 25 minutes (the grains should be soft and creamy but still have a slight bite to them). Remove from heat and stir in the remaining butter, cheese and parsley; season with salt and pepper to taste.

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   Transfer the cooked risotto to a bowl or plate and refrigerate until cold.

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   For the risotto cakes:

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   1 cup breadcrumbs

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   4 tbsp canola oil

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   In a large cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Using your hands, carefully shape the risotto into 12 cakes about 1 cm thick. Dredge cakes in the breadcrumbs and shake off excess. Fry in batches of 3 or 4 at a time, flipping once halfway through cooking, until golden brown and crisp on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.