Meal – James Callaghan

I’ve always been fond of risotto and during a work trip in Rotterdam, Netherlands this was reconfirmed when I had what was the most incredibly delicious mushroom risotto. Since then I have been just dying to cook it. But to cook it like the dish I had in the Netherlands I’ve had to source some special ingredients that I’ve never cooked with before. Not only is this an absolutely delicious risotto it was fun to research and cook. The trick though to any risotto is to keep stirring and use a hot stock so the risotto rice releases its starch which creates the beautiful creaminess that the best risottos have. If you don’t have any speciality mushrooms use what you already have at home.

I hope you enjoy my take on a classic risotto recipe inspired by chefs Theo Randal and Marco Pierre White.

Delicate mushroom risotto

Recipe: Delicate mushroom risotto
Serves: 2
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Ready in 60 min
Category: Main

Ingredients

3-4tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp butter
White truffle oil
White wine
2 garlic cloves, crushed over salt
2 shallots, chopped
2 sprigs of thyme
Fresh parsley, chopped
Rocket leaves
700ml chicken stock
50g dried porcini mushrooms
400g shiitake or wild speciality mushrooms carefully, chopped
Slice of black truffle
50g block of parmesan
300g arborio rice
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Warm 700ml of chicken stock. Using hot stock and hot rice before adding the stock will allow the rice to cook evenly.
Carefully chop the larger mushrooms while keeping the texture.
Place the dried porcini mushrooms into 200ml of chicken stock and allow to soak for 20 minutes.
While the porcini mushrooms soak, finely chop the fresh parsley, garlic and shallots.
Grate the Parmesan but keep some back to slice grate over the risotto when serving.
Drain the porcini mushrooms but make sure you keep the stock back for later.
Heat 1 tsp of olive oil and a knob of butter over medium heat and cook of the mushrooms for about 5 minutes to reduce their water and intensify the flavour.
Add the porcini mushrooms and continue to cook for a further 3 minutes.
Add a nice generous glug the truffle oil, seasoning and a sprig of thyme.
Transfer the cooked mushrooms into a bowl.
Then in the frying pan with medium to high heat add 1 tsp of olive oil and a knob of butter and sweat off the chopped garlic and shallots for 2 minutes until they’re sauteed.
Add the rice and keep stirring until the is evenly coated in the oil until the rice is translucent (4-5 minutes).
Add the good splash of white wine to deglaze the rice and stir until it has all been absorbed (2-3 minutes).
Add a small amount of chicken stock (100ml). Stir and allow the stock to be absorbed.
Keep adding stock in small amounts (100ml) while continuing to stir until it is absorbed. This allows the stock to mix with the starch from the rice and create a creamy risotto.
Once the rice is almost al dente pour in the stock used to soak the porcini mushrooms.
Carefully introduce a few shavings of black truffle.
Add the thyme, parsley and mushrooms.
Continue to add the last of the stock while stirring for a further 15 minutes.
Finally, add the parmesan, seasoning to taste and the final two knobs of butter and stir until melted then cover and rest for a few minutes.
Stir before plating the risotto and serve with a topping of rocket leaves, parmesan and a small shaving of truffle.