Risotto ai Funghi Porcini

The brilliant thing about risotto is the fact that it absorbs all the flavours you throw in the pan. If you use nice ingredients your risotto will taste very nice, if you use superior ingredients: your risotto will be a taste of heaven... This classic italian dish is on of the finest risotto's i know of.

The dried porcini mushrooms 'Funghi Porcini' and the stock tablets can be bought in italian deli shops. In Italy they can be bought for a fraction of the prices you pay in the deli's, when you're planning a trip: stock up!

Technique

On making risotto: As with poaching, the secret is in controlling the temperature. We want the rice to boil and fry the rice. Cooking to make it soft and fry it to slightly caramelize the ingredients to get a perfect harmony of flavours. First fry the rice (high temperature) then add water in a small quantity (the temperature drops, we are cooking now), let the rice suck it up and you're back to frying the rice again. Repeat this process until the risotto is ready. You should use your own judgement as to when it is ready: some like it almost as a soup (venetian risotto) and other like it fairly dry.

To make a good risotto you need to put time and effort in it, but the result will be well worth it !


Ingredients
50 gr dried porcini mushrooms
1 porcini stock tablet (if you can't find any use chicken or vegetable ones)
150 gr. risotto rice (i prefer Arborio)
2 echalots
1 clove of garlic
1 glass of italian white wine (i only had some rosé today)
75 ml cream
parmesan cheese
a handful of fresh parsley

Preparation

Let the mushrooms soak for at least half an hour, in a pan with about 500 ml of water. Move them around carefully to wash off the dirt. Remove the mushrooms and if necessary slice up the mushrooms a bit. Filter the water with a pointy strainer, to remove the dirt

Put a pan with the water from the mushrooms + another 500 ml on the stove, bring it almost the boil and add the stock tablet.

Chop up the echalots finely
Crush & squeeze the garlic


Melt a bit of butter in a large pan. Ideally you make this risotto in a wok type pan with teflon coating, or you can use a regular, thick pan

 
Fry the onions and rice in the melted butter


Add the garlic, keep strirring (don't burn it)

 
Throw in the glass of wine and keep stirring


When the wine is gone,

 
add the porcini mushrooms and some of the broth.

 
Wait until it's gone, stir it up and add some more broth.


Repeat until the risotto is ready (see techniques)

 
Add the cream and the chopper parsley, stir again.


Remove from the stove and add the parmesan cheese while strirring.


Serve immediately with a small piece of parsley on top.
Buono apetito!