Mushroom risotto is often misunderstood. Too often, it’s made heavy — overloaded with cream, truffle oil, or too many competing flavours — until the rice becomes little more than a vehicle for richness. A proper risotto should be more restrained. The rice should hold its shape, the stock should be absorbed slowly, and the mushrooms should bring depth, not dominance.
This version keeps things simple. Rice toasted properly, stock added patiently, and mushrooms cooked until their flavour is concentrated and earthy. Butter and Parmesan are folded through at the end, not to overwhelm, but to bring everything into balance. Done well, mushroom risotto proves that comfort food can still be precise.
Ingredients
- Risotto
- 150 g Carnaroli or Arborio rice
- 75 g Shallot, finely diced
- 100 g Celery, finely diced
- 2 cloves Garlic, finely minced
- 20 g Dried porcini mushrooms
- 150 ml Dry white wine
- 1000 ml Chicken stock
- 30 g Butter
- 30 g Olive oil
- Mushrooms
- 250 g Chestnut mushrooms, sliced
- 15 g Butter
- 15 g Olive oil
- To finish
- 25 g Parmesan, finely grated
- 30 g Butter, cold cubed
- 10 ml Lemon, juice
- 5 g Fresh parsley , finely chopped
Method
Soak the dried mushrooms in warm water for 30 minutes. Strain through a cloth (keep the soaking liquid), then finely dice. Dice the shallot and celery, mince the garlic, slice the chestnut mushrooms, weigh the rice, grate the Parmesan, and cube the cold butter (return to fridge).
Combine the stock with the strained mushroom liquid in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer and keep warm throughout.
Heat the butter and olive oil in a wide, heavy-based saucier over medium-low heat. Add the shallots, celery, and a pinch of salt. Sweat slowly for 5-7 minutes until soft and translucent — no colour.
Add the garlic and rehydrated dried mushrooms. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the rice and toast for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. The grains should turn slightly translucent at the edges.
Pour in the wine. Stir continuously until almost completely absorbed and the alcohol smell has cooked off — about 1-2 minutes.
Add the first ladle of hot stock. Stir slowly and continuously. When the stock is mostly absorbed and the rice looks dry, add another ladle. Repeat for 18-22 minutes.
If you run out of stock, switch to hot water.
While the risotto cooks, heat the butter and olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced chestnut mushrooms in a single layer.
Leave undisturbed for 2-3 minutes to develop colour. Toss and continue cooking until deeply browned. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
After about 20 minutes, start tasting. The rice is ready when there’s no white core in a grain bitten in half — al dente, with a slight bite.
Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the cooked mushrooms, a generous squeeze of lemon, the Parmesan, and the cold butter cubes.
Stir vigorously to emulsify. Taste and adjust salt and lemon. Stir through the parsley.
Spoon onto warm plates immediately. The risotto should spread and settle into a flat, glossy pool — not sit in a mound. If it’s too thick, loosen with a splash of hot stock before serving. Finish with extra Parmesan and a crack of black pepper.
Notes & Substitutions
The method scales to other risottos beautifully. Once you’ve got the technique, you can swap the mushrooms for almost any flavour — squash and sage, prawn and lemon, asparagus and pea, even a simple Parmesan-only version. The principles stay the same.
For a richer finish, fold in a tablespoon of mascarpone or a splash of double cream along with the cold butter at the mantecatura stage. Adds extra silkiness — particularly good if you’re serving the risotto on its own rather than as a side.
Mushroom Risotto
Mushroom risotto is often misunderstood. Too often, it’s made heavy — overloaded with cream, truffle oil, or too many competing flavours — until the rice becomes little more than a vehicle for richness. A proper risotto should be more restrained. The rice should hold its shape, the stock should be absorbed slowly, and the mushrooms should bring depth, not dominance.
This version keeps things simple. Rice toasted properly, stock added patiently, and mushrooms cooked until their flavour is concentrated and earthy. Butter and Parmesan are folded through at the end, not to overwhelm, but to bring everything into balance. Done well, mushroom risotto proves that comfort food can still be precise.
Ingredients
- 150 g Carnaroli or Arborio rice
- 75 g Shallot (finely diced)
- 100 g Celery (finely diced)
- 2 cloves Garlic (finely minced)
- 20 g Dried porcini mushrooms
- 150 ml Dry white wine
- 1000 ml Chicken stock
- 30 g Butter
- 30 g Olive oil
- 250 g Chestnut mushrooms (sliced)
- 15 g Butter
- 15 g Olive oil
- 25 g Parmesan (finely grated)
- 30 g Butter (cold cubed)
- 10 ml Lemon (juice)
- 5 g Fresh parsley (finely chopped)
Equipment
- Sauté/saucier pan (stainless)
- Fine microplane grater
Method
Mise en place
<p>Soak the dried mushrooms in warm water for 30 minutes. Strain through a cloth (keep the soaking liquid), then finely dice. Dice the shallot and celery, mince the garlic, slice the chestnut mushrooms, weigh the rice, grate the Parmesan, and cube the cold butter (return to fridge).</p>
<p>Combine the stock with the strained mushroom liquid in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer and keep warm throughout.</p>
Build the base
<p>Heat the butter and olive oil in a wide, heavy-based saucier over medium-low heat. Add the shallots, celery, and a pinch of salt. Sweat slowly for 5-7 minutes until soft and translucent — no colour.</p>
<p>Add the garlic and rehydrated dried mushrooms. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.</p>
For this step: 75 g Shallot, 100 g Celery, 2 cloves Garlic, 20 g Dried porcini mushrooms, 30 g Butter, 30 g Olive oil
Toast the rice
<p>Add the rice and toast for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. The grains should turn slightly translucent at the edges.</p>
For this step: 150 g Carnaroli or Arborio rice
Add the wine
<p>Pour in the wine. Stir continuously until almost completely absorbed and the alcohol smell has cooked off — about 1-2 minutes.</p>
For this step: 150 ml Dry white wine
Begin the slow stir
<p>Add the first ladle of hot stock. Stir slowly and continuously. When the stock is mostly absorbed and the rice looks dry, add another ladle. Repeat for 18-22 minutes.</p>
<p>If you run out of stock, switch to hot water.</p>
For this step: 1000 ml Chicken stock
Cook the fresh mushrooms
<p>While the risotto cooks, heat the butter and olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced chestnut mushrooms in a single layer. </p>
<p>Leave undisturbed for 2-3 minutes to develop colour. Toss and continue cooking until deeply browned. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.</p>
For this step: 250 g Chestnut mushrooms, 15 g Butter, 15 g Olive oil
Test and finish
<p>After about 20 minutes, start tasting. The rice is ready when there’s no white core in a grain bitten in half — al dente, with a slight bite.</p>
<p>Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the cooked mushrooms, a generous squeeze of lemon, the Parmesan, and the cold butter cubes.</p>
<p>Stir vigorously to emulsify. Taste and adjust salt and lemon. Stir through the parsley.</p>
For this step: 25 g Parmesan, 30 g Butter, 10 ml Lemon, 5 g Fresh parsley
Serve
<p>Spoon onto warm plates immediately. The risotto should spread and settle into a flat, glossy pool — not sit in a mound. If it’s too thick, loosen with a splash of hot stock before serving. Finish with extra Parmesan and a crack of black pepper.</p>
Notes & Substitutions
<p>The method scales to other risottos beautifully. Once you’ve got the technique, you can swap the mushrooms for almost any flavour — squash and sage, prawn and lemon, asparagus and pea, even a simple Parmesan-only version. The principles stay the same.</p>
<p>For a richer finish, fold in a tablespoon of mascarpone or a splash of double cream along with the cold butter at the mantecatura stage. Adds extra silkiness — particularly good if you’re serving the risotto on its own rather than as a side.</p>
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