Risotto with porcini mushrooms: a classic recipe
Risotto with porcini mushrooms: a classic recipe
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Non-stick pan
Ingredients
Broth
- 2 Carrots
- 1 Onion
- 1 stick Celery
- to taste Salt
Risotto
- 300 g Carnaroli Rice
- 4 fresh Porcini or 50 g dried Porcini
- 1 Shallot
- 1/2 glass white Wine
- 1 l Broth
- 100 g Parmigiano Reggiano
- to taste Parsley
- to taste Extra Virigin Olive Oil
- to taste Salt
- to taste Pepper
Instructions
Broth
- Clean and cut carrots, shallot and celery stalks into fairly large pieces.
- Put them in a saucepan and cover them with 3 liters of water.
- Cook for about 1 hour and a half.
- Allow to cool and filter.
Risotto
- Sauté the fresh mushrooms with a clove of garlic for 10 minutes.
- Add salt and turn the fire off.
- If you use dried mushrooms, soak them for about half an hour in warm water.
- Remove them from water, squeeze them lightly and place them on kitchen paper.
- Filter and keep soaking water aside.
- Heat oil in a non-stick pan, add the finely chopped shallot and cook for 10 minutes.
- Toast rice for 3 minutes then add it to the shallot.
- Pour 1 ladle of hot broth on rice, gradually adding more as it is absorbed. If you are using dried mushrooms add their soaking water.
- Add mushrooms a few minutes before rice is ready.
- The final step is to add Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Place on a plate, sprinkle with chopped parsley and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
If you are a lover of risotto and of traditional Italian dishes, we know you will love our porcini mushroom risotto recipe. We will reveal some secrets that will help you choose the right ingredients and make no mistake in the preparation of this great classic of Italian cuisine.
Porcini mushroom risotto: selection and preparation of mushrooms
The choice of mushrooms is a fundamental step in the preparation of this risotto. We recommend that you use fresh porcini mushrooms! Before buying them, check the following features:
- They should be nice and firm.
- Caps should be attached to stems.
- Gills under the caps should be tightly packed.
- Stems should not be bruised or have holes where parasites could nest.
Remember that mushrooms should be cleaned very carefully and never soaked, as they would become waterlogged. Therefore:
- Remove the earth-encrusted part of the stems.
- Remove remaining dirt residues with a damp cloth, making sure they don’t get wet.
- Separate caps from stems with a very gentle twisting motion.
- Cut caps and stems into rather thin slices and cook.
If fresh porcini are not available, you can buy dried porcini, which are also very good. In this case you will soak them for at least half an hour in lukewarm water. Then filter water and use it for additional flavor when you cook your risotto.
Porcini mushroom risotto: preparation tips
Carnaroli rice is best for risotto. Its grains are large and hard, they do not overcook, and easily absorb juices. Moreover, Carnaroli rice contains a high percentage of starch and will yield a very creamy risotto.
The first thing to do is to toast the rice in order to seal it and allow it to better withstand cooking and gradually release its starch. The final result will be a creamy porcini mushroom risotto with firm rice grains.
- Place your rice in a hot copper or aluminum saucepan (these materials transfer heat very evenly).
- Stir it continuously with a wooden spoon, so that grains will not burn and or stick together.
- After about 3 minutes grains will be translucent, meaning that they are roasted to perfection.
Shallots should be sautéed but not burnt. It is important to cook them slowly and gently.
- Chop shallots into very small pieces and place them in a cold pan.
- Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes.
- Use extra virgin olive oil: it withstands high temperatures as it contains fatty acids and antioxidants, which prevent it from degrading.
We selected Olio Extravergine di Oliva il Casolare Farchioni Grezzo Naturale. Its light and fruity flavor, as well as its extremely well-balanced taste make it very versatile. It can be used for cooking and as a seasoning, drizzled on the finished dish.
Now that you know all the secrets to making a great porcini mushroom risotto, you can go ahead with our recipe!
