Wild mushroom risotto
Cardoncelli Mushroom & Radicchio Risotto Kit
Risotto is a Northern Italian dish made from a short-grained, starchy rice. A properly cooked risotto should form a soft, creamy mound on the plate. It shouldn’t run across the plate, nor should it be stiff or gluey.
Below are some essential tips that will help you make a delicious restaurant-worthy risotto at home.
Serves 4
What you get:
500g x Risotto rice (Carnaroli)
350g x Sliced Cardoncelli mushrooms
3ltr x Porcini mushroom stock
85g x Diced onions
75ml x White wine
120g x Unsalted English butter
75g x Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Handful x Chopped parsley
1 x Shredded radicchio
Recipe:
1. Put the stock in a deep pot and bring to the boil.
2. Melt a quarter of the butter in a wide saucepan over a medium-low heat, and gently sauté the mushrooms for 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and place on a dish for later.
4. Add another quarter of butter to the pan and sauté the chopped onions until soft and translucent – don’t let them brown.
5. Add the rice and toast it with the onions for a further 2-3 minutes, again without any colouring.
6. Turn up the heat and immediately pour in the wine; it should sizzle as it hits the pan. Continue reducing the wine until most of the liquid has evaporated.
7. Start adding the stock one ladleful at a time, continuing to stir as you do so, and not adding the next ladle of stock until the pan is almost dry.
8. Remember not to flood the rice with stock, you want to stew the rice, not to boil it.
9. After about 15 minutes, stir in the mushrooms.
10. Keep adding stock and stirring until the rice is cooked, this should take another 2 to 3 minutes.
11. The cooked rice should be firm, not chalky in the middle, but al dente (with a bite).
12. Now correct the consistency. Risotto shouldn’t sit on the plate like a solid lump,
It needs to be able to slightly spread, but stay firmly together when the plate is wiggled back and forth – a happy medium.
13. Cover the pan and leave to sit off the heat for 1 minute. Don’t skip this part or the butter and cheese when added (next step) will likely separate from the rice.
14. Stir in the grated parmesan and the other half of the cold butter to emulsify, then allow to sit for a further 1 minute.
15. Give the risotto a good stir and season to taste (parmesan is naturally salty, so taste and season after the cheese has gone in), check the rice consistency again, add a drop more stock if needed.
16. Plate up and sprinkle over the shredded radicchio and chopped herbs, finish with any remaining cheese.
Buon Appetito!
£32.00