Recipe #8 - Wild Mushroom Risotto

It doesn't really matter what type of mushrooms you use in this risotto recipe. The more varieties, the better -- although keep in mind that the per-pound price of shrooms varies wildly. We've seen instances where common button mushrooms sat humbly at two or three bucks a pound next to fresh porcinis selling for $60 per pound! So the cost of preparing a wild mushroom dish like this can fluctuate from cheap to pricey depending on which varieties you use.

Makes four servings.

1 oz. packaged dried porcini mushrooms

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 medium shallots, peeled and finely diced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 lb. wild mushrooms, diced (some of our favorites are oyster, portobello, shiitake, black trumpet, porcini or matsutake)

1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups vegetable stock

1/2 cup grated parmesan or asiago cheese
1/2 cup half & half
Salt & pepper to taste

Soak the dried mushrooms in one cup of hot water for about 30 minutes. Drain them, reserving the soaking liquid, and chop roughly.

Heat the olive oil in a wok or large deep skillet. Add the shallots and garlic and saute until fragrant, about two minutes. Add the fresh mushrooms and saute until they give off their juices and start to brown, stirring very frequently. Add the soaked porcinis and stir fry for another minute or two.

Add the wine and continue stirring constantly until the liquid is absorbed. Add the stock, a half-cup at a time, stirring constantly, until the risotto has absorbed enough of the liquid to become al dente.

Stir in the cheese and half-and-half, bring heat to very low, and keep stirring until the cheese is well incorporated into the risotto. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

This risotto goes great with a steamed green vegetable, perhaps a small piece of grilled seafood, and a green salad. Leftover risotto can be re-purposed as risotto cakes in a main dish salad