Porcini mushrooms risotto with truffle and crispy Parmesan chips

• 20 minutes to prepare • 40 minutes to cook • Serves 4

 

 

Autunno dolciastro

Considered an exotic, somewhat obscure item by most people, dried mushrooms are instead an essential ingredient for many Italian recipes.
They may not be right there on top with olive oil and pasta but they usually hold their own somewhere in the middle, especially if you cook a dish coming from the North of Italy.
Once the mushrooms are soaked, strained, and chopped, even just a small amount will add enormous flavor to a dish.

Dried mushrooms can be pricy, but they pack a lot of flavor. Their quality, flavor, and amount of grit can vary considerably. Price is often a good guide as the pricier versions tend to be of higher quality and lower grit. They will last a very long time — a year, if not more — if kept in a well-sealed container.
Dried mushrooms need to be reconstituted with water before you can use them, and this produces two wonderful things: the mushrooms themselves and their flavorful soaking liquid. Both can be used in soups, stews, sauces, and risotto recipes.
Often dried mushrooms are used in conjunction with not-so-tasteful fresh mushrooms to give them a boost. Dried mushrooms add a rich, meaty note and have great umami flavour.

Today we will employ dried mushrooms in a warm risotto dish perfect for Autumn season: together with fresh porcini mushrooms, truffle oil and crispy Parmesan chips, they will create an authentic masterpiece!


Here's what you will need for the 4-serving recipe:

 

320 g Carnaroli rice 
1 shallot
200 g fresh porcini mushrooms
100 g dried porcini mushrooms
1 glass white wine
1 l vegetable broth
150 g grated Parmesan cheese
EVO oil
truffle oil
salt and pepper

1. Prepare the Parmesan chips: preheat oven to 180°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
2. Divide the cheese into 4 portions, and form each portion into an even 15-cm circles on the parchment paper
3. Bake for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden. Then, remove from the oven and allow to cool. Finally cut each disk into chips-like pieces
4. Meanwhile, wash fresh porcini mushrooms and cut them into thin slices
5. At the same time, place dried mushrooms in a bowl and cover them with hot water. Gently push on the mushrooms to submerge them into the water and soak for about 20 minutes. Mushrooms are ready to use when they have softened all the way through
6. Braise the chopped shallot with 2 tablespoons of EVO oil until golden, then pour the rice into the pan and let it toast for 1 minute
7. Simmer it with the white wine until it evaporates, then add the fresh porcini mushrooms
8. Cook the rice, adding a spoonful of boiling vegetable broth at a time, as for a normal risotto, (please refer to the cooking time indicated on the rice package)
9. A few moments before the rice is done, remove the dried mushrooms from the water, squeezing them lightly to remove as much water as possible. Taste a mushroom: if you detect any grittiness, place the mushrooms in a strainer and rinse them under the faucet for several seconds, tossing them and making sure all the grit is gone. Finally, stir them in the risotto
10. Add freshly ground pepper and 1 teaspoon of truffle oil. Serve risotto with Parmesan chips on top

In the following, Nutrition Facts of this dish are indicated. Data is provided per serving.

There is mushroom in my heart for you all!