Funghi Trifecta Risotto
I have been filling this blog with mushroom risottos of one form or another these past few months, trying to do something a little different to each one, using saffron, red wine, and this time I took that bold step and used three different types of mushrooms. Not terribly creative, I know, but of course each risotto tastes different and I couldn’t exclude this last one since it was made with the last of the dried porcini that we brought back from Italy in September when we had our porcini fest.
With that I can assure all of my readers who may be rolling their eyes at yet another post featuring these dried delicacies with arborio rice, that you won’t be seeing them again for a while. Winter into spring, time to start publishing all of those heavier recipes and move on to the new vegetables that will be arriving at the market in the coming weeks. I can’t wait!!!
Though risottos will still be popping up, we just discovered that we can buy Italian arborio online. A wonderful discovery, it is less expensive that the rice that we find at the stores here and isn’t stale. God knows how long that rice was sitting on the shelf before we naively bought it. Riso Scotti isn’t exactly la crema della crema of Italian rice varieties, but it certainly tasted that way to my palate, a good crunch to my al dente preparation and the perfect creaminess. Makes you love the internet.
Funghi Trifecta Risotto
- 1 cup of carnaroli or Arborio rice (Italians measure rice by demitasse cups, 1 cup for each person and one for the pot)
- ½ an onion, chopped finely
- 1 ounce of dried porcini mushrooms (you can find these at most gourmet stores, some grocery stores as well)
- 5 cups warm water for soaking dried porcini
- 8 oz. white button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 large portobello mushroom, thinly sliced
- 1 cup of dry white wine
- 2 tbsp butter
- a few sprigs of flat-leaf parsley
- salt to taste
Heat the water for the dried porcini in a pot, you want to be able to continue to simmer the broth that the porcinis will create as you are making the risotto. Soak the dried porcinis in the warm for at least 30 minutes for them to hydrate.
When the porcinis are hydrated, remove them from the broth with a slotted spoon and roughly chop.
Chop onion into fine pieces and bring the porcini broth to a simmer.
Heat a large stovetop casserole pan over medium-high heat and melt butter at the bottom of the pan, covering the pan. When the butter is melted add onion and sauté until the onion is translucent. Add rice and coat it in the butter, toasting it a bit. When the rice becomes opaque, after about 1 minute add a cup of wine to the pan, enough to cover the rice, stir frequently.
When the rice has absorbed the wine, add a ladleful of broth to the pan and continue stirring. Repeat and once the rice starts to absorb the broth add all of the mushrooms. Continue adding the broth as the rice absorbs it, you want it to almost dry out before adding the broth each time.
When the rice is finished it should be al dente and all of the liquid should be absorbed. Remove from heat and toss chopped parsley in. Serve immediately.
*Italians would never add grated cheese to mushrooms, they hold the same rule as fish, though I think probably less offensive if you want to add cheese to this risotto. The idea is to not overpower the delicate flavors of the mushrooms.
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