Try this delicious risotto with wild mushrooms and peas

If you are ever at a loss for what to make for an impromptu dinner party, especially if there will be vegetarians at the table, consider risotto.

Risotto with wild mushrooms always tastes luxurious, even when you buy cultivated “wild” varieties such as maitakes (also known as hen of the woods), enokis, shiitakes and oyster mushrooms at the supermarket.

As soon as you sear them in the pan, they begin to release sweet juices, and when they are cooked through, their texture is juicy and meaty, their flavors both sweet and umami.

In the past, I’ve made a robust mushroom broth for my risotto by infusing dried porcinis, but this time I decided to use a light chicken, vegetable or garlic broth, because I loved the sweetness of the maitake mushrooms that I used. I didn’t want to overwhelm that with the strong, beefy porcini broth; instead, I wanted the vegetal flavors to shine through.

I added peas – frozen at this time of year – because I wanted to introduce some color and also because the sweetness of the peas fits right in with the flavors of this dish.

But this satisfying, elegant dish is fine without peas, too. You’ll get a vibrant dash of green from the parsley added at the end of cooking.