Blueberry Risotto with Chanterelles and Goat Cheese

(Jump to the recipe here)

The first piece in my new series, Half Full, Half Empty, began with a tension I know well: the space between doubt and aspiration. On canvas, this tension unfolded in bluish hues layered with purples and whites - colors that blur into one another, sometimes calm, sometimes unsettled. 

When I step away from the canvas, these colors shift into taste. The coolness of blue becomes something fresh. The purples carry a depth, like sweetness layered under earthiness. The whites bring contrast, a kind of brightness, a breath of air.

The dish that follows is not a literal picture of the painting, but a translation of its mood. Just as the painting builds in layers, this recipe builds through textures: grains absorbing color, cheese melting into cream, fruit dissolving into sweetness and acidity. Out of this, blueberry goat cheese risotto with chanterelles emerged. A dish where the artwork’s palette becomes edible, carrying the same rhythm of tension and balance, softness and bite.

---

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 400g Arborio rice (risotto rice)

• ½ large onion, finely diced

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 100ml dry white wine

• ~1-1,5L vegetable stock (keep warm in a pot)

• 50g Parmesan cheese, grated

• 1-2 cups blueberries (frozen is fine)

• 100g soft goat cheese

• 20-30g dried chanterelles (rehydrated in hot water, then chopped)

• Olive oil & a small knob of butter

• Salt & black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Soak & prep the mushrooms

   Place the dried chanterelles in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let them soak according to package instructions until softened, then drain (reserve the soaking liquid if you’d like to boost the stock) and chop into bite-sized pieces.

2. Cook the base

   Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil (and a little butter if you like) in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook gently until soft and translucent (5-7 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for another minute.                 

3. Toast the rice

   Stir in the rice and cook for 1-2 minutes, until the grains are coated in oil and lightly translucent at the edges.                                                                                        

4. Deglaze with wine

   Pour in the white wine and stir until it has almost completely evaporated.                           

5. Build the risotto

   Add just enough hot stock to cover the rice. Stir gently and let it simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding stock one ladle at a time, stirring often, always waiting until the liquid is mostly absorbed before adding more. This process should take 18-20 minutes.                                                                                                         

6. Add flavor

   When the rice is nearly cooked (after ~800ml of stock), stir in the Parmesan, blueberries, and chopped chanterelles. The blueberries will burst and color the risotto while the mushrooms add earthiness. Season with salt and pepper.                           

7. Finish & serve

   The risotto should be creamy but still slightly loose, with the rice al dente. Remove from the heat, plate, and crumble the goat cheese over the top so it melts slightly. Serve at once.                                                                               

Tips for a Perfect Risotto

• Keep your stock hot in a separate pot. Cold stock interrupts the cooking process.

• Stir often, but not constantly - you want to release starch, but also let the rice cook evenly.

• This recipe works well if the risotto flows a bit on the plate. If it's too stiff, stir in a splash of extra stock before serving. But then again, if you enjoy the risotto more "glued" together (which I usually like), then: you do you! :)