Ingredients
- 2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms (look for these in produce department at the grocery store)
- 1 quart mushroom broth or vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 1/2 cup dry sherry
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme (2 tablespoons), leaves chopped
- 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (3 handfuls), grated
- Coarse salt and pepper
Preparation
- Place dried porcini mushrooms and stock or broth in a saucepan and bring stock to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer.
- In a large skillet, heat EVOO, one turn of the pan, and butter over medium to medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté for 2 minutes. Add arborio rice and sauté 2-3 minutes more.
- Add sherry and cook until the liquid is completely absorbed. Add several ladles of hot stock or broth and reduce heat slightly.
- Simmer, stirring frequently until liquid is absorbed.
Remove mushrooms from water and reserve cooking liquid. Coarsely chop the porcinis and add them to the rice.
- Continue to ladle broth into arborio rice, half the remaining amount at a time. Stir mixture each time you add broth and remove from heat when the rice is cooked to al dente. Cool and store any remaining liquids.
- The ideal total cooking time for perfect risotto is 22 minutes. The consistency should be creamy. Stir in thyme and a few handfuls of Parmigiano Reggiano. Season your risotto with salt and pepper to your taste. Serve creamy mushroom risotto from the hot pan with warm, crusty whole grain bread.
Source: Rachel Ray – Wild Mushroom Risotto