Wild Mushroom Risotto

Risotto is delicious and very filling. I recommend making the risotto not more than one hour prior to your guests arriving. It is best if served immediately, but just like in restaurants, it is impossible to make risotto to order. If you are making it ahead of time, I suggest turning it off when its consistency is almost al dente, place in a bowl and refrigerate. When it comes time to serve the main course, add 1 cup of liquid (water or stock) to the saucepan, when it starts to simmer, add the risotto and stir for a few minutes over medium heat, until the liquid you just added and the risotto have completely mixed and evaporated enough, leaving it creamy and a bit runny (but not too runny, otherwise you’ll have soup). Also, if you will not be feeding this to a baby and decide to add cheese, do it at this point to finish off the dish.

Ingredients:

1 cup of arborio rice
1 cup of roughly chopped wild mushrooms
1/4 oz of roughly chopped dry porcini mushrooms
2 tablespoons of black truffle oil + 1 teaspoon to finish
2 1/2 cups of vegetable stock
2 cups of water
3 tablespoons of fresh parmesan cheese
Black truffle shavings to finish (optional)
Salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. In a small bowl, add 1/2 cup of vegetable stock to the chopped porcini mushrooms, to rehydrate. Put aside.

2. Put 1 tablespoon of truffle oil in a 3 quart saucepan over medium heat.

3. When hot, add the wild mushrooms and sauté with a bit of salt and pepper. Allow them to wilt a bit, but do not fully cook them, because they will cook some more with the risotto.

4. At this point, place the lightly cooked mushrooms in a small bowl and add 1 tablespoon of truffle oil to the saucepan.

5. When hot, add the rice and mix well, allowing for all the grains to coat evenly.

6. Add 1 cup of water and constantly stir until almost all the water has evaporated. Add the other cup of water and keep string until the water is almost completely evaporated.

7. Add the stock, 1 cup at a time, following the same steps of the water addition. By the 4th cup of stock, the risotto should be al dente and almost fully cooked. At this point add the wild mushrooms, the porcini mushrooms with the stock they have been soaking in, and salt and pepper to taste.

Whatever you do, do not take your eyes off it! Risotto can burn easily, so make sure you babysit it.

8. Finish off the dish with the parmesan cheese, that will give it a deliciously creamy taste, and the black truffle shavings. Black truffles are kinda pricey, so if you cannot get fresh truffles, you could use black truffle salt.

The cooking time for this dish should be anywhere from 30 to 40 minutes, and should be served hot.