Wild Mushroom Risotto Drizzled with Truffle Oil and Dusted with Parmesan

This version of risotto doesn’t involve nearly as much stirring as the classic recipe and is every bit as good. You can use the basic technique to make any flavor risotto.  I made the recipe in class and had forgotten how good it was so I had to make it again for dinner.  Since it wound up only being the two of us that night, I had leftovers, which became these marvelous risotto cakes, so make sure you make more than enough.

Did you know that cremini and baby bellas are the same mushroom?  A lot of times the baby bella are more expensive. You don’t have to spend more. Cêpes and Porcini are basically the same mushroom too, except Cêpes are French and Porcini are Italian.

After the dried mushrooms are hydrated and removed from the liquid, if they are not sandy or gritty, let the liquid settle and just pour off the top leaving the sediment in the bottom.

Truffled Risotto with Wild Mushrooms

Serves about 6 as a side dish

½ – 1 oz dried mushrooms that includes, hopefully, some morels, cêpes or porcini
2 T butter
8- 12 oz fresh wild mushrooms (cremini, shittake, etc)  sliced
1/2  tsp thyme
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 T olive oil
½ C minced shallot
2 C Arborio rice
½ Tsp. salt
½ C white vermouth or dry white wine
2 C chicken stock mixed with the strained mushroom soaking liquid & enough water to make 5 C
½ C Parmesan cheese + more for serving
1 – 2 T truffle oil , optional, but delicious

Mushrooms Happily Hydrating

Rehydrate the dried mushrooms in 2-3 cups hot water until softened, about 30 minutes.   Remove the mushrooms from the water, making sure they are not sandy or gritty and reserve the soaking liquid. Strain the liquid through a coffee filter to remove any grit and combine with the stock and water.   Coarsely chop the dried and fresh mushrooms.

Leave room when you are sauteing mushrooms so they can cook evenly and brown a bit too

Melt the butter in a sauté pan and sauté all the mushrooms until browned, seasoning with salt, pepper and thyme. Do not crowd the pan or they will not brown. You can cook them in batches.  Set aside.

Adding the liquid

Heat the oil in a heavy pot. Add the shallot and sauté until tender.  Stir in the rice.  Add the wine/vermouth, stirring frequently until absorbed.  Add 3 C of the stock mixture and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook stirring occasionally until virtually all of the liquid is absorbed. Add the salt and stir. You can do ahead to this point.

Take the risotto off the heat when it still looks a little soupy. The rice will continue to absorb the liquid.

Add the remaining broth, 1/2 C at a time stirring constantly, until each addition is absorbed and the rice is creamy but still somewhat firm in center. You might not need all the liquid or  If necessary add more water.  Stir the reserved mushrooms into rice with Parmesan.  Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary and add additional liquid if too much has absorbed. Drizzle the truffle oil on top to make it truffled risotto and serve immediately with an additional shower of cheese.

Serves about 6 as a side dish.