Porcini Mushroom Risotto

Porcini Risotto

I love to order porcini risotto when I eat out at Italian restaurants, and a plate at a decent eatery will easily set me back by about $25. The bulk of the cost comes from the porcini mushrooms, which are pricey especially in Singapore. That is why it makes economical sense for me to learn to cook this at home. And I’m glad I did, because not only is the taste great, I totally enjoy the generous serving of porcini (I use a 1 oz pack for 2 persons). The cost  of the dish is only a small fraction of what I pay outside.  The water used to soak the dried porcini is used as part of the stock for the risotto, resulting in a deep and earthy taste. This is one gourmet meal that I will make again and again, and enjoy in the comforts of my home with a glass of white wine.

Dried organic porcini mushrooms

For those interested to know, I ordered my organic porcini, 1 oz pack from iHerb for about US$4.39.  The brand is FungusAmongUS and the 1 oz packet is the serving I used for this recipe.  If you like to order this product from iHerb too, you can use my coupon code WIF026 to get US$5 off any first order.

Ingredients
(Serves 2-3)

- 30g/1 oz  porcini
- 700ml chicken stock (or vegetable stock to make this dish vegetarian)
- 1 cup (150g) unwashed risotto rice, such as arborio
- 15g + 30g butter
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 large onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 glass dry white wine
- 30g grated parmesan cheese
- a small bunch of Italian flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- sea salt
- freshly cracked black pepper

Directions
1. In a small bowl, add porcini mushrooms and just enough hot water (about 200ml) to cover them. Let it stand for about 15 minutes, until the mushrooms are reconstituted. Roughly chop mushrooms and strain soaking liquid through a fine sieve.
2. Combine the strained soaking liquid with the chicken/vegetable stock. Warm in a saucepan or microwave oven.
3. In a heated pan, add olive oil and 15g butter. Saute the onions on low heat until the onions are soft and translucent, about 6 – 8 minutes.
3. Turn up the heat and stir in the rice for a minute until nicely coated. Add white wine and wait a few seconds; you will smell the lovely aroma of the wine as it sizzles and evaporates.
4. Add the first ladle of hot stock and the chopped mushrooms. Stir continuously and simmer until the rice has absorbed most of the stock, then add the next ladle of stock. Continue doing so until the rice is cooked with a slight bite in the middle, about 20 minutes. If you ran out of stock, use hot water.
5. Remove the risotto from heat and stir in remaining butter (cubed) and parmesan cheese. Cover with lid and leave the risotto to relax for a few minutes.
6. Season with salt (if necessary) and black pepper. Dish risotto onto a serving plate and garnish with chopped parsley.

Ingredients Used butter • cheese • mushroom • onion • parsley • Rice • white wine

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