Friday Fungus: Thoughts on risotto

I've been watching how risotto is presented in trendy restaurants. And I'm a little concerned. Not only is the risotto presented in a moulded form - which means it's overcooked - but there is no indication that it's cooked fresh. It's no surprise it stands up all pretty like - it's has hung around the kitchen for some while!

Good risotto - like all the best peasant cooking - requires patience and good ingredients. The finished dish should be liquid enough to move in the bowl - just beyond pourable and certainly not mouldable! And - assuming you've a good stock ready - it takes 20-25 minutes to cook risotto. There isn't any getting round this and moreover the cooking is laborious - bit of liquid, stir until absorbed, bit more liquid, stir again, carry on until the rice is cooked. You can't do this in the oven, you can't use a slow cookers, or a pressure cooker. Just a good saucepan over the heat, good stock, a glass of white wine and whatever else you want to add.

Mushroom stock

I tend to cheat a little with mushroom stock - an OK liquid can be made by soaking some dried porcini in salted boiling water. But for a really good mushroom stock try this:

8oz field mushrooms (roughly chopped)
2oz dried porcini
Celery - 4 or 5 sticks roughly chopped
Onion - medium sized, chopped
Assorted herbs - sage, thyme, parsley are good
Ground black pepper
1 tblspn olive oil
Salt
Glass of white wine
2lt water

Heat a heavy bottomed pan, add and heat the oil. Add all the dry ingredients, cover and allow to sweat for a couple of minutes. Add the wine, cover again and cook for 2-3 minutes - be careful that noting catches. Pour over the water, bring to the boil then simmer for about an hour. Stock done!

Then make the risotto and add fantastic fresh mushrooms, chicken, peas more herbs - whatever you fancy!

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Some thoughts on risotto – and the odd mushroom!

Risotto is one of the most abused dishes in Italian cooking. We use the wrong rice, we bake it rather than cook on the top, we boil it to death and – the worst crime of all – we shove cream or creamy sauces in with the rice.

The secret of good risotto is in the stock. And in the patience to make that stock do its job – soaking into the rice, bringing out the stickiness and creaminess from the grains to make a smooth, filling and flavoursome dish. The meat, vegetables – or even mushrooms – are the added flourish to the main event.

To make a risotto with mushrooms, we start with a mushroom stock:

Dried porcini mushrooms (a small handful)
Chopped shallots (just a couple)
Herbs – whatever you’ve got: parsley, thyme, sage…
Dash of Worcester sauce (soy sauce for veggies)
Salt & pepper

Shove all this in two litres of water and boil for about 15-20 minutes – that’s your stock done – keep it simmering. Now for the cooking bit!

Take a good heavy based saucepan and heat about two tablespoons of olive oil (don’t use the posh stuff – the ordinary late season oil is fine).
Chop a shallot & a clove of garlic and fry with some allspice berries or juniper berries (the soffrito).
Add about 4oz of Arborio rice and mix until the rice is covered with the oil.
Soften with a half glass of marsala (use white wine for chicken risotto).

Now the boring bit! You add the stock one ladleful at a time – keep stirring and letting the stock soak into the rice. When it begins to stick add another ladle of stock and repeat. This takes about 20-25 minutes until the rice is al dente – cooked but retaining some bite, not sloppy (it’s not a rice pudding we’re making).

While you’re cooking the rice prepare the mushrooms – they’re best fresh, roughly chopped and salted before cooking. Heat up a heavy skillet or similar with some oil. Add the mushrooms to the hot oil and fry for a minute or two then remove from the heat and cover. The mushrooms will continue to cook without going slimy.

When the rice is all but cooked add the mushrooms and another small dash of marsala – serve into a warm dish and shave some parmesan onto the top. Serve with a big, bold bottle (or three) of red wine.

The Friday Fungus: boleto

I think of these guys as the aristocracy of the mushroom world - ceps, porcini, boleto, the 'king bolete'. You've all eaten them whether dried or fresh - for a little more about them, how to find them, cook them and eat them Wild About Mushrooms has all you need.

...and here at FriendsEAT they have some great risotto recipes just made for these glorious mushrooms!