Risotto is one of the beat ways to cook wild mushrooms, especially ceps which are a great favourite through France and Italy where the mushrooms are so intensely flavoured as to require very few extra ingredients other than onion or garlic, butter and stock.
This version compensates for our slightly inferior mushrooms by the addition of fresh herbs.
Ingredients
1700ml 3 pints chicken stock
40g butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion chopped
350g cultivated shiitake and oyster mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 chopped clove garlic
17g reconstituted dried ceps and their strained liquid
1 tbs tomato pasta
2 canned plum tomatoes, chopped
salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
450g arborio rice
a few fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
75g grated parmesan
Method
1) bring the stock to a simmer, turn off the heat and cover to keep it warm
2) fry the onion in the hot oil and butter, until lightly coloured
3) add all the mushrooms and stir-fry for 3 minutes, until they reduce slightly, add the garlic and mix well, pour in the ceps'soaking liquid and allow it to evaporate
4) add the tomatoes, season to taste, and mix well, cook the mixture for a few minutes longer, then add the rice and mix to coat all the grains with the sauce
5) pour in a generous ladle of warm stock, stir and allow the rice to absorb all the liquid, repeat, stirring constantly, until all the stock has been exhausted and the rice is tender
6) check the seasoning, mix in the fresh herbs and half the parmesan and let the risotto rest for a few minutes.
Serve with the remaining parmesan.
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