According to Wikipedia, risotto is “rice cooked in broth to a creamy consistency. The broth may be meat-based, fish-based, or vegetable-based”.  Other ingredients include onions, butter and sometimes cream. It is a common way of cooking rice in Italy.

Some people like preparing this dish during the fall when there is an abundance of dried porcini mushrooms. If you can get fresh ones, you can use these instead. Slice of the stems and cut them lengthwise. Use this for the risotto and grill the tops. You can eat it with the risotto or with steak. If you cannot find porcini, you may use wild mushrooms instead.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 cup dried or fresh porcini with stems

1 medium sized onion, finely sliced

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup butter

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice

1/3 cup dry white wine

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)

1 liter vegetable stock

A bunch of parsley, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

If you are using dried porcini, soak it in water for 15 minutes and strain and reserve the water. For fresh porcini, wash it well and remove the caps from the stalks. Slice lengthwise.

In a deep saucepan under medium fire, melt the butter and sauté the mushrooms and onions for 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon.

In the same pan, lower the heat and put the olive oil. Stir-fry the rice for 5 minutes until it is coated with oil and translucent. Add the mushrooms and onions. Pour in the wine and mix. Let the wine evaporate.

After, put a ladle of broth. Let the rice absorb it and stir occasionally. It usually takes 10 minutes. Add more broth once it is absorbed by the rice. Repeat this process. When the rice is almost done, fold in the cream, half of the cheese and half of the parsley and let it simmer for 5-8 minutes. Season it with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and cover the risotto. Let it cool for 2 minutes before serving.

Garnish with the remaining parsley and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Photo Courtesy Of: diekatrin