Baked mushroom risotto
Serves 2-3 You will need:
• 25g dried porcini mushrooms
• 200ml boiling water
• 400ml chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 50g butter
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 200g risotto rice
• 100ml white wine
• 250g button or flat mushrooms, quartered or sliced
• 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra, to serve
• 25g butter, soft, cut in cubes
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh marjoram or parsley, chopped
• A good squeeze of lemon juice
• 1-2 tablespoons mascarpone
1 In a heatproof bowl, combine the porcini mushrooms and the boiling water. Leave them to soak for 20 minutes, until they are soft.
2 Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, Gas 4. Put the chicken stock or the vegetable stock, whichever you’re using, in a saucepan over a medium-low heat, and bring to just under a simmer.
3 In a large saucepan or casserole pot with a lid, add 25g of the butter, and place the pot on a medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and the chopped garlic, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, cover the pot and cook the vegetables for 6-8 minutes until they are soft.
4 As the onion is cooking, drain the porcini, but reserve the soaking liquid. Roughly chop the porcini and set them aside, then strain the soaking liquid (it may contain a little bit of grit) and add it to the simmering stock. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
5 Add the chopped porcini to the saucepan containing the butter, onion and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, for 1-2 minutes. Next, stir in the rice and cook for two minutes, stirring constantly but gently. Add in the white wine, stir, and cook for 2-3 minutes until it has evaporated. Now pour in the pot of simmering stock, stir to combine everything, place a lid on top and put the pot in the oven. Cook for 10-12 minutes until the rice is just al dente (has a bite).
6 While the risotto is in the oven, place a frying pan on a medium heat, add the remaining 25g of butter and when it is hot, add the quartered or sliced button or flat mushrooms, whichever you are using. Cook, stirring occasionally for 3-5 minutes, until the mushrooms are wilted and lightly golden. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
7 Remove the risotto from the oven, add the freshly grated Parmesan and the cubes of soft butter, then use a wooden spoon to beat everything together. Stir in the fried button or flat mushrooms, whichever you are using, the chopped fresh marjoram or parsley, whichever you’re using, the lemon juice and the mascarpone. Serve immediately with the extra grated Parmesan scattered on top.