How to Make Risotto With Wild Mushrooms

This is the ultimate way to enjoy the sublime earthiness of wild mushrooms. Serves six people as a hearty side dish.

Things You'll Need

• 4 tsp. olive (not virgin) oil
• 1 small onions - peeled and minced
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. salt depending on preference
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp. porcini mushrooms flavored oil - for drizzling
• 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheeses
• 1/2 c. white wines
• 1/4 tsp. white pepper
• 4 c. vegetable broths
• 8 large shiitake mushrooms - stemmed and cut into small dice
• 1 large portobello mushrooms - stemmed and cut into small dice
• 1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 3/4 c. Arborio rice

Instructions

1. Put the broth in a saucepan and heat it to a gentle simmer on the stove.

2. 

   Combine the porcini and 2 c. boiling water in a glass bowl. Let them soak for 20 minutes.

3. Remove the porcini from the water and strain the water through a coffee filter. Add the water to the broth and roughly chop the porcini.

4. 

   In a small sauté pan over medium-high heat, cook the portobello and shiitakes in a teaspoon of the oil. After 6 minutes, add the porcini to the pan and set aside.

5. Heat half the butter and the remaining oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the onion and cook for 3 minutes.

6. 

   Add the rice and stir to coat the grains well with the butter and oil. Cook for another minute while stirring gently.

7. Set your kitchen timer to 18 minutes.

8. Add the wine, stir and let it cook until the wine is almost completely absorbed by the rice. Add 1/4 c. broth and stir frequently until it is almost completely absorbed.

9. Continue adding the broth, 1/4 c. at a time, until it is gone. You should be adding the last 1/4 c. of broth right around the time that the timer goes off.

10. Taste the rice. It should be tender, yet firm to the bite, rather like al dente pasta. If it's too hard, keep adding broth or water until it's done.

11. 

    With the last addition of broth, also stir in the remaining butter, salt, pepper, mushrooms and cheese.

12. If you run out of broth before the timer sounds, add more broth or water until you hear the timer.

13. Serve in large bowls drizzled with some of the porcini oil.

Tips & Warnings

• Always use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula when cooking risotto. Hard metal or plastic tools will crack the grains of rice and change the texture of the risotto.

• Italian short-grain rice is essential for good risotto; Arborio is the most common variety. Do not rinse the rice prior to cooking. The starch is essential to ensuring a creamy texture in the risotto.

• Keep your broth simmering as you make the risotto; cold broth will lower the cooking temperature too much. The risotto itself should also be at a gentle simmer throughout the cooking process.