Porcini Mushroom Risotto
Absolutely delicious. I make half this recipe as a main dish for two people and end up with a small serving left over.
Absolutely delicious. I make half this recipe as a main dish for two people and end up with a small serving left over.
- Carbohydrate 61.4804708333333 g
- Cholesterol 16.034375 mg
- Fat 7.50082708333334 g
- Fiber 3.21499998410543 g
- Protein 9.91569791666667 g
- Saturated Fat 3.91314833333333 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (326g)
- Sodium 484.509166666667 mg
- Sugar 58.2654708492279 g
- Trans Fat 0.493533750000001 g
- Calories 361 calories
Step-by-step
- Put mushrooms in a small bowl and pour one cup of boiling water over them. Let soak for 15 minutes.
- Strain mushrooms through a fine sieve (or coffee filter), reserving 1/2 cup of the liquid. Chop mushrooms and set aside.
- In a large heavy saucepan, heat olive oil and butter over medium high heat and saute onion until softened.
- Add rice and stir until well-coated with the butter/oil mixture.
- Add mushroom liquid and 1 cup of the stock; stir well.
- Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until almost all the stock is absorbed. Add 1 cup of stock and continue stirring.
- Repeat until the rice is tender, approximately 20 minutes. The rice should have a creamy consistency, not too dry.
- Add the mushrooms, basil, and parmesan and stir until cheese is just melted.
Starch release depends entirely on using a heavy-bottomed saucepan that distributes heat evenly without scorching the grains along the base. Thin aluminum pots create hot spots that burn the arborio before the interior softens, ruining the batch. Heavy cast iron enameled dutch ovens or multi-clad stainless steel pans retain the steady medium-high energy necessary for uniform cooking. Thermal stability prevents the butter and oil emulsion from breaking during the initial onion sauté.
Rehydration of dried porcinis yields a deeply concentrated pot liquor that must be strained through a fine paper coffee filter to capture invisible grit. Sand settles in the folds of wild mushrooms during harvesting, making filtration mandatory before incorporating the liquid into the rice. Reserve exactly one half cup of this earthy broth to build complex umami foundations alongside the standard chicken stock. Chop the rehydrated fungi finely so they distribute evenly across every spoonful rather than clumping.
Stirring mechanics dictate the final texture of the dish by abrading the outer starch layers off the rice kernels. Add the hot liquid in one cup increments, waiting until each addition is almost entirely absorbed before pouring the next. Constant agitation releases surface starches into the cooking liquid, creating a glossy sauce without adding heavy cream. Maintain a gentle simmer throughout the twenty-minute absorption phase to ensure the rice achieves an al dente center encased in a fluid, creamy matrix.
Finishing requires folding in fresh basil and grated parmesan off the direct heat source to prevent the dairy fats from separating into grease. Rest the completed dish for sixty seconds in the covered pan so residual steam relaxes the starched grains completely. Serve immediately on pre-warmed plates to preserve the emulsion before cooling thickens the starch permanently.
