Ingredients
- 10-15g dried mushrooms
- 500ml quality vegetable or chicken stock
- 2tbs light olive oil
- ½ onion very finely chopped
- ½ stick celery very finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic very finely chopped
- 200g chestnut or other flavoursome mushrooms chopped or sliced
- 100ml white wine
- 300g risotto rice (use Arborio
- Carnaroli or Vialone Nano rice)
- black pepper
- 1tbs butter
- 2-3 tbs parmesan cheese grated
- handful flat leaf parsley chopped
Instructions
- Place the dried mushrooms into a heatproof jug and pour over 500ml boiling water. Leave to soak for 15 minutes,Meanwhile make the stock in your Circulon small saucepan or saucepot and keep hot over a low heat on the hob,Using your Circulon Slotted Spoon, remove the dried mushrooms from the soaking liquid and chop roughly. Pour most of the soaking liquid into the pan with the hot stock, discarding the last couple of spoonfuls as it will be a bit gritty,Heat the oil in your Circulon Large Saucepan or Saucepot and fry the onions and celery gently for 5 minutes, stirring with your Circulon Solid Spoon. Add the chestnut mushrooms and fry for a further 5 minutes then add the garlic and fry for a further minute
- Tip the rice into the pan and stir well to coat all the grains in oil. Cook for a minute. Add the wine and bubble until half is evaporated then stir in the chopped soaked mushrooms,Add two ladles of hot stock and stir over medium heat until almost all the stock is absorbed then add another two ladles full and repeat, stirring frequently. Repeat until most of the stock is used. Check the rice – it should still be fairly firm but not white in the middle. If necessary add an extra splash of boiling water. It will take about 18 minutes to cook the rice,When the rice is cooked, there should still be a little moisture in the pan. Add the butter and parmesan and stir vigorously until the butter has melted. This helps to make the risotto creamy. Season with plenty of black pepper, stir in the parsley and serve with extra parmesan if desired and a rocket salad on the side.
You don’t have to use the dried mushrooms but they will add a rich and earthy flavour to your risotto. Dried Porcini mushrooms are authentically Italian but are expensive – you may be able to buy dried mixed mushrooms which are a little less pricey.