Porcini and chanterelle risotto
Ingredients
Method
- Soak the dried porcini for 20 minutes in 250 ml of hot water. Drain, chop and strain the soaking water into the stock. Keep the stock hot over low heat.
- Clean the fresh mushrooms with a brush and slice them. Sauté over high heat in 1 tablespoon of oil and 10 g of butter with the crushed garlic and thyme for 5 minutes. Season and set aside.
- In a wide pan, soften the shallots in the remaining oil and 10 g of butter for 3 minutes. Add the rice and toast it for 2 minutes, stirring, until translucent.
- Pour in the white wine and let it evaporate. Add the chopped dried porcini, then the stock one ladle at a time, waiting until it is almost absorbed before adding more and stirring regularly.
- After 12 minutes, add two thirds of the sautéed mushrooms. Cook for another 4 to 6 minutes: the rice should be tender but still slightly firm and the risotto loose.
- Off the heat, do the mantecatura: add the cold butter in cubes and the Parmesan, beat vigorously, cover and rest for 2 minutes. Serve topped with the remaining mushrooms and parsley.
Notes
Creamy rice that ripples on the plate, the deep scent of porcini, chanterelles golden from the pan, a hint of white wine and melting Parmesan: mushroom risotto is the comfort dish of the Italian autumn. Here is our step-by-step mushroom risotto recipe, with the real technique for a creamy risotto without cream, and the secret of the mantecatura.
Risotto, an Italian rice and mushroom specialty
Risotto was born in northern Italy, in Lombardy and Piedmont, where rice has been grown since the Renaissance. Risotto ai funghi is the ultimate Italian rice and mushroom dish, especially in autumn, when porcini flood the markets. In Italy, risotto is a primo piatto: it is served on its own, before the meat or fish, not as a side.
Which rice for mushroom risotto?
Use a starchy Italian short-grain rice: carnaroli, the “king of risotto rice”, firmer and more forgiving if you overcook it by a minute, or arborio, easier to find. Vialone nano, typical of the Veneto, makes a very creamy risotto. Never rinse the rice: its starch creates the creaminess. Arborio takes 16 to 18 minutes, carnaroli 17 to 19.
Porcini, chanterelles or cremini?
A porcini and chanterelle risotto is the luxury version of the season. Out of season, rehydrated dried mushrooms are key: 20 g of dried porcini bring an intense flavor, and their soaking water scents the stock. Cremini work very well alongside, especially brown ones, which are tastier. Clean fresh mushrooms with a brush rather than rinsing them under water.
Vegetable stock for risotto
Good vegetable stock must stay hot throughout cooking: cold stock stalls the rice. Homemade (carrot, celery, onion, bay leaf) or a good low-salt cube, add the strained porcini water to it.
How to make a creamy risotto
Follow the Italian steps. The soffritto: the shallot softens gently in butter and oil. The tostatura: the rice is toasted dry for 2 minutes so the grains stay whole. The white wine evaporates. Then the stock goes in one ladle at a time, stirring regularly but not constantly: the grains rubbing together release the starch. This mushroom risotto with Parmesan and white wine contains no cream at all.
Mantecatura, the risotto technique
The mantecatura is the risotto technique that makes all the difference. Off the heat, add very cold cubed butter and grated Parmesan, then beat the rice vigorously with a wooden spoon. The starch, butter and cheese emulsify and the risotto turns glossy and “all’onda”: it should ripple like a wave when you shake the plate. Cover and rest for 1 to 2 minutes before serving.
Spices for mushroom risotto
The seasoning stays discreet to let the porcini shine: shallot, fresh garlic, thyme, flat-leaf parsley and a grind of black pepper when serving. Rosemary and nutmeg, sometimes suggested, are not traditional and mask the mushrooms. For another fragrant rice, try our saffron rice, and explore all our spices in the spice guide.
An easy mushroom risotto recipe
This easy recipe mostly asks for 20 minutes of attention. Prepare everything before you start: hot stock, chopped shallots, grated Parmesan, cold butter in cubes. A multicooker also makes good risotto (toasted rice, then all the stock at once, reverse blade, slow speed), but the mantecatura is always done by hand, outside the machine.
What to serve with mushroom risotto
In Italy, risotto stands alone. For a full meal, serve a caprese salad as a starter or a green salad alongside. If you want meat, mushroom risotto goes well with roast chicken or a veal escalope. For wine, the same dry white you cooked with. For another Italian classic, try Roman cacio e pepe. And to end the meal the Italian way, a panna cotta with berry coulis.
Frequently asked questions
Can risotto be made ahead?
Restaurants par-cook the rice for 10 minutes, spread it out to cool, then finish it with hot stock when serving. At home, risotto is best freshly made.
What can I do with leftovers?
Shape them into balls, roll them in breadcrumbs and fry them: those are arancini. Or pan-fry the cold risotto into a crispy cake.
