For ➍1.5 l organic chicken or vegetable stock, hot
1 handful dried porcini mushrooms*
olive oil
1 small onion, peeled & finely chopped
2 sticks celery**, trimmed & finely chopped
400 g risotto rice
7.5 cl vermouth or white wine***
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
4 large handfuls wild mushrooms (try shiitake, girolle, chestnut or oyster), cleaned & sliced
a few sprigs fresh chervil, tarragon or parsley, leaves picked & chopped
juice of 1 lemon
1 ts butter
1 small handful Parmigiano cheese, freshly grated, plus extra for serving
extra virgin olive oil
Heat the stock in a saucepan and keep it on a low simmer. Place the porcini mushrooms in a bowl and pour in just enough hot stock to cover. Leave for a couple of m until they've softened. Fish them out of the stock and chop them, reserving the soaking liquid.
In a large pan, heat a lug of olive oil and add the onion and celery. Slowly fry without colouring them for at least 10 m, then turn the heat up and add the rice. Give it a stir.
Stir in the vermouth or wine. Keep stirring until the liquid has cooked into the rice. Now pour the porcini soaking liquid through a sieve into the pan and add the chopped porcini, a good pinch of salt and your first ladle of hot stock. Turn the heat down to a simmer and keep adding ladlefuls of stock, stirring and massaging the starch out of the rice, allowing each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next.
Carry on adding stock until the rice is soft but with a slight bite. This will take about 30 m. Meanwhile, get a dry griddle pan hot and grill the wild mushrooms until soft. If your pan isn't big enough, do this in batches. Put them into a bowl and add the chopped herbs, a pinch of salt and the lemon juice. Using your hands, get stuck in and toss everything together.
Take the risotto off the heat and check the seasoning carefully. Stir in the butter and the Parmigiano. You want it to be creamy and oozy in texture, so add a bit more stock if you think it needs it. Put a lid on and leave the risotto to relax for about 3 m.
Take your risotto and add a little more seasoning or Parmigiano if you like. Serve a good dollop of risotto topped with some grilled dressed mushrooms, a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmigiano and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
In a large pan, heat a lug of olive oil and add the onion and celery. Slowly fry without colouring them for at least 10 m, then turn the heat up and add the rice. Give it a stir.
Stir in the vermouth or wine. Keep stirring until the liquid has cooked into the rice. Now pour the porcini soaking liquid through a sieve into the pan and add the chopped porcini, a good pinch of salt and your first ladle of hot stock. Turn the heat down to a simmer and keep adding ladlefuls of stock, stirring and massaging the starch out of the rice, allowing each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next.
Carry on adding stock until the rice is soft but with a slight bite. This will take about 30 m. Meanwhile, get a dry griddle pan hot and grill the wild mushrooms until soft. If your pan isn't big enough, do this in batches. Put them into a bowl and add the chopped herbs, a pinch of salt and the lemon juice. Using your hands, get stuck in and toss everything together.
Take the risotto off the heat and check the seasoning carefully. Stir in the butter and the Parmigiano. You want it to be creamy and oozy in texture, so add a bit more stock if you think it needs it. Put a lid on and leave the risotto to relax for about 3 m.
Take your risotto and add a little more seasoning or Parmigiano if you like. Serve a good dollop of risotto topped with some grilled dressed mushrooms, a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmigiano and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
*Omit if you want.
*Use leek instead for a suaver taste.
**Double for softer rice.
The dry grilling of mushrooms is inspired by a Japanese way of cooking.
Read the tip on making a quick risotto.
