*crispy waffle*

Dried porcini mushrooms

While in Bergamo, Italy, I bought some local dried porcini mushrooms as recommended by our friend Donatella. (An aside: let me tell you-- it is soooo nice travelling with someone local to ask all the questions and tell you where to go! And she knows her food, so that's an added bonus.) I brought them home and what's the natural thing to do with them? Make risotto, of course.

Some notes: Risotto is usually stirred constantly while cooking. I've found that this doesn't necessarily have to be the case (although maybe some like the arm workout.) I add the first couple cups of stock straightaway, cover, and let it simmer away for eight minutes or so, until the stock is mostly absorbed. This way, it's off to a rockin start, and you just have to do the stir-and-add-stock for the last ten minutes of cooking or so. Plus, you can make a salad and slice up some bread in the meantime.

If you have a risotto method that you already like-- go for it. Just because I'm lazy doesn't mean you have to follow me!

Risotto with dried porcini mushrooms
4-5 servings

Ingredients
30 grams dried porcini mushrooms
5 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 shallots, minced
1/2 cup red wine
2 teaspoons sea salt
1-3/4 cups arborio rice
A small handful of fresh sage leaves, minced
Grana Padano, for grating

Soak the porcini mushrooms in 1 cup of hot water for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving the soaking liquid. Add the soaking liquid to the chicken stock. Chop the mushrooms very fine.
Place the stock in a medium saucepan over low heat. Make sure it's on the burner next to the one you'll be using for the risotto. The stock will stay over the low heat as you cook the risotto.
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Melt the butter and add the shallots, sauteing them until they are soft, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and continue stirring and cooking for a minute or two.
Add the mushrooms and wine. Stir until the liquid is mostly absorbed.
Add 2 cups stock and the salt, bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the liquid is mostly absorbed, 8-10 minutes.
Uncover, add 1/2 cup stock and stir until, again, mostly absorbed. Continue adding the stock in 1/2 cup increments until its finished. The mixture should be quite creamy, but the rice will still have just a hint of chew. Taste for salt.
Sprinkle the sage over the rice and pass the cheese for grating.

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty, travel

posted by sheryl | 8:35 AM |