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Mushroom risotto

The earthy, year-round risotto. Dried porcini do the heavy lifting.

50 min 40 min hands-on Serves 4 Italian Kid friendly

Mushroom risotto is an earthy, comforting bowl that turns a handful of mushrooms into something deeply savoury. The trick is building umami with both fresh and, ideally, dried mushrooms whose soaking liquid enriches the stock. It is a satisfying vegetarian main that feels restaurant-worthy with simple pantry staples.

Ingredients

  • 20 g dried porcini
  • 300 ml water, just boiled
  • 900 ml vegetable stock
  • 300 g mixed mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 50 g butter
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 320 g carnaroli or arborio rice
  • 100 ml dry white wine
  • 60 g parmesan, finely grated (or a vegetarian hard cheese)
  • salt, to taste
  • black pepper, to taste
  • 1 small bunch parsley, chopped, to serve

Method

  1. Put the porcini in a bowl, pour over the just-boiled water and leave to soak for 15 to 20 minutes, until soft. Heat the stock in a saucepan and keep it at a bare simmer. While the porcini soak, slice the fresh mushrooms, chop the shallot and garlic and grate the parmesan.
  2. While the porcini finish soaking, heat a wide frying pan over a medium-high heat with 15g of the butter and the oil. Add the fresh mushrooms in a single layer and leave them for 2 to 3 minutes, then toss until deep golden, 6 to 8 minutes in all. Season and tip onto a plate.
  3. Lift out the porcini, squeeze them dry and chop them. Pour the soaking liquid into the stock through a sieve lined with kitchen paper, to catch any grit. It carries most of the porcini flavour.
  4. In a wide, heavy saucepan over a medium-low heat, melt another 15g of butter. Cook the shallot with a pinch of salt until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes, then stir in the garlic and chopped porcini for 1 minute, until fragrant.
  5. Turn the heat up to medium and add the rice. Stir for 1 to 2 minutes, until the edges of the grains turn translucent, so they hold their shape as they cook. Pour in the wine and stir until it is almost absorbed, about 1 minute.
  6. Add a ladle of hot stock and stir almost constantly, keeping it at a steady simmer, until it is almost absorbed; then add the next. The stirring draws out the starch that makes it creamy. After 16 to 18 minutes the rice is tender with a slight bite and flows slowly when you tilt the pan. Stir in the mushrooms for the last 2 minutes.
  7. Off the heat, beat in the remaining 20g butter and the parmesan hard with a wooden spoon until glossy, then cover and rest for 1 to 2 minutes. Loosen with a splash of stock (or hot water), season with salt and pepper and serve with the parsley and a crisp green salad.

Tips

  • Soak a few dried porcini and use the strained soaking liquid as part of your stock for a big flavour boost.
  • Brown the fresh mushrooms hard in a separate pan first so they are golden and not watery before stirring them in.
  • Stir constantly while adding stock to coax out the rice starch that gives risotto its creamy texture.

Common questions

Can I make mushroom risotto vegetarian?

Yes, simply use vegetable stock and check your cheese is made with a vegetarian rennet. The mushrooms provide plenty of savoury depth.

Why is my risotto gluggy?

It was probably overcooked or left to sit too long, which makes the starch claggy. Serve it as soon as it is creamy and the rice still has a slight bite.