I always have great fun experimenting with risotto.  I like it so much that it was the first thing I ever cooked all by myself as a teenager.  Today’s risotto though is a classic Italian recipe: Porcini mushroom risotto.  I must warn you: if you like mushrooms and you have never eaten porcini, please do!  You will fall in love with these amazingly tasty mushrooms.  In fact, to me, they are the “only” mushrooms worth buying.  I know, I am biased, but no other mushroom tastes the same.  Their flavour is so intense, nutty and well rounded.  When you eat them, you can taste autumn.  I can easily picture myself in a forest, surrounded by trees and fallen leaves.  That’s how they taste like: like a forest in autumn!  Unfortunately, I cannot get fresh porcini mushrooms down here (I still have to understand why… they are not hard to grow!), but I am lucky enough to find them frozen at Italian stores.  They are almost as good as the fresh ones, and definitely better than the dried version, so I won’t complain too much. This is a pretty straightforward recipe… easy and fast to make.  It is perfect for a mid week dinner or even for a romantic dinner or special occasion.  Enjoy it with your favourite white wine!

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Porcini Risotto

Porcini Risotto - porcini, the king of mushrooms and how to use them to make a delicious risotto.

Course Main

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Author Manuela Zangara

Ingredients

Porcini Sauce

• 250 gms – 8.8 oz. porcini mushrooms cleaned and sliced (fresh or frozen)
• 1 clove of garlic chopped
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp parlsey chopped
• 1/4 glass white wine
• Salt to taste

Risotto

• 320 gms – 11.3 oz. rice Arborio, Carnaroli or Vialone nano
• ½ onion finely chopped
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 50 ml – 1.7 oz. white wine
• 1 lt – 33.8 oz. beef or vegetable stock
• 4 tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano finely grated
• 30 gms – 2 tbsp butter
• Salt to taste
• Porcini sauce

Instructions

1. To prepare the porcini sauce, chop the garlic clove and put it in a non stick frying pan with the extra virgin olive oil and let it fry on a low fire for 1 minute.
2. Add the sliced porcini mushrooms and let them cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the white wine and burn the alcohol off by increasing the flame for a few seconds.
4. Season with salt to taste.
5. Put the fire off, add the chopped parsley and keep it aside.
   
6. Now put the stock in a pot and heat it on the fire. The stock has to be hot all the time while you are cooking risotto, so that the rice temperature does not drop when you add the stock to it.
7. Put the finely chopped onion and the 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in a pot and let it cook on a slow fire, until the onion becomes soft and transparent.
8. Add the rice, mix well and let it cook for 1 or 2 minutes, until it becomes translucent.
9. Now pour in the white wine and let the alcohol burn off by cooking on a high flame.
10. Then add enough hot stock to cover the rice and turn the fire to medium-low. Keep cooking, occasionally stirring the rice and adding hot stock little by little, until the rice is cooked. It is going to take approximately 18 to 20 minutes depending on the rice you are using.
    
11. minutes before the rice is ready, add the porcini sauce to it, stir well and keep cooking as above.
12. When the rice is ready, put the fire off and add the butter and grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Mix very well, until the rice becomes creamy.
    
13. Make sure that your risotto is moist (or, as we say, all’onda – which literally means wavy) and not sticky. You can do that by adding 1 or 2 extra tbsp of hot stock if needed. Check for salt and season to your liking.
14. Serve immediately.

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