During autumn i like to go to the woods and forage; they are
a haven of peace and where i feel at my best. I have passed my passion on to my
children and, whenever we can, we go on mushroom hunts, with both girls competing
with each other as to who can find the first porcini and who can fill their
basket the fastest. Sometimes, as a treat, i bring the camping stove and we end
the day with a mushroom risotto. You could also use a combination of mushrooms
from greengrocers, plus dried porcini
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| Mushroom Risotto |
Mushroom Risotto ingredients: 1/3 cup (80ml) extra virgin
olive oil. 1 small onion, finely chopped. 1 celery stalk, finely chopped. 375g
arborio rice. 175ml vinegar. 200g mixed mushrooms (such as chestnut, pine and
Swiss brown), roughly chopped. 10g dried porcini, soaked in warm water, drained
(water reserved). 1.5L vegetable stock, heated. 50g unsalted butter. 2/3 cup
(50g) grated Parmesan
Mushroom Risotto recipe: 1- Heat the extra virgin olive oil
in a saucepan. Add the onion and celery, then sweat until softened. Stir in the
rice with a wooden spoon and coat each grain with the oil. Add the vinegar and
allow to evaporate. Stir in mushrooms and drained porcini, adding a couple of
tablespoon of strained soaking water. 2- Add a couple of ladlefuls of hot stock
and, stirring continuously, cook until the stock has been absorbed. Add more
stock and repeat. Continue adding the stock in this way, cooking and stirring,
for 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked-it should be soft on the outside but
al dente on the inside. Remove from the heat and, using a wooden spoon, beat in
the butter and Parmesan until the risotto has a creamy consistency. Check for
seasoning and, if necessary, add some salt and pepper. Leave to rest for 1
minutes, then serve
