Porcini Risotto

After an outing to Carluccio's where I spent far too much time and money in the little shop attached to it, I came home with some lovely carnaroli rice, wafer thin dried poricini mushrooms and golden porcini oil. The ingredients were of such lovely quality that I didn't want to overcomplicate them, so I decided to go for a simple yet decadent risotto that really allows each component to shine - Pip

Ingredients

• 300g carnaroli rice
• 1 large onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 20g dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 2 pints water
• 1 large glass white wine
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme
• 30g parmesan cheese
• Parsley (optional) 
• Porcini oil (optional)

Equipment

• Sautee pan

Method

•  Mix stock cube into 2 pints of hot water until completely dissolved and then steep mushrooms for about twenty minutes until totally rehydrated. Drain the liquid and put both the mushrooms and the porcini/vegetable stock away for later.
• Finely chop the onions and sautee them until transluscent over a low heat, adding minced thyme and garlic halfway through cooking.
• Chop the mushrooms roughly and add them to pan.
• Add the carnaroli rice, mixing with the onion and mushrooms and allowing it to cook in the oil for a few minutes.

• Pour in the glass of white wine and stir until it is absorbed into the rice.
• Pour in a ladle full of stock, stirring until it is absorbed; continue doing this until the rice is cooked but still with a little bite, and the sauce has become smooth and creamy. This will take some time, but the rice will keep absorbing whatever you add to it, so just keep going until you reach the desired texture.
• When the rice is ready, add the grated parmesan and mix until it has melted into the sauce.
• Spoon into bowls and, just prior to serving, drizzle with porcini oil and scatter with rough chopped parsely.

Verdict

This turned out so good. Risotto is a labour of love, and it requires some patience because you do have to watch and attend to it, constantly adding cooking liquid and testing it for its texture until you achieve the consistency that you are looking for. When it's finished, though, it is so worth it, especially when the ingredients are of such lovely quality. Serve it with a really simple dressed salad and enjoy!