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Risotto with dried porcini mushrooms

17/11/2023

Here is the recipe for a delicious risotto with dried porcini mushrooms:

Ingredients

  • 320 g of risotto rice (such as Arborio or Carnaroli)
  • 30 g of dried porcini mushrooms
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 liter of hot vegetable broth (you can use less or more depending on the rice’s absorption)
  • 1 glass of dry white wine
  • 40 g of butter
  • grated Parmesan cheese to taste
  • Salt to taste
  • Black pepper to taste
  • Chopped parsley (optional for garnish)
  • Extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

  1. Start by soaking the dried porcini mushrooms in a bowl with lukewarm water, for at least 20 minutes, then squeeze them out (save the water) and chop them into pieces.
  2. Filter the water in which you’ve soaked the mushrooms to remove any residue, and add it to the hot broth; keep the broth simmering lightly on the stove.
  3. In a large pot, gently fry the finely chopped onion in a drizzle of olive oil until it becomes transparent.
  4. Add the porcini mushrooms and sauté for a few minutes.
  5. Pour in the rice and toast it with the mushrooms and onion until the grains become translucent.
  6. Deglaze with the white wine and allow the alcohol to evaporate.
  7. Start to add, one ladle at a time, the hot broth, waiting for the liquid to be absorbed by the rice before adding the next ladle.
  8. Continue like this for about 15-18 minutes, constantly stirring and adding a little salt, until the rice is al dente.
  9. When the rice is almost done, cream the risotto with diced cold butter and ample grated Parmesan, stirring vigorously to make it creamy.
  10. Adjust the salt if necessary and add a grinding of black pepper.
  11. Let the risotto rest for a minute before serving, then garnish with chopped parsley if desired.

Curiosity

Risotto with porcini mushrooms is a classic dish of Italian cuisine. Porcini mushrooms are appreciated for their intense flavor and meaty texture, which marry well with the creaminess of the risotto. In Italy, the season for fresh porcini is between summer and autumn, but by using dried mushrooms you can enjoy this dish all year round. Moreover, the tradition of creaming risotto with butter and Parmesan is a typical technique of Northern Italy, which gives the dish an unmatched richness and creaminess.