Mushroom Risotto

Dreamstime Photo ID: 32332609

Serves 2

25g dried porcini
1 vegetable or chicken stock cube
2 tbsp olive oil
200g mixed wild mushrooms, chopped
25g butter
3 shallots, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
150g arborio rice
1 glass white wine (optional)
100g spinach or Swiss chard (chopped)
50g pecorino, finely grated, plus a little extra to serve
1 lemon, zested

METHOD

Put the porcini in a small bowl, pour over 300ml boiling water and leave to soak for 15 minutes. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve into a jug and top up with boiling water to 600ml. Crumble in the stock cube or stir in 1 tsp of stock powder or liquid. Roughly chop the porcini and set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a wide, shallow, non-stick pan and add the wild mushrooms. Fry, keeping the heat fairly high, until the mushrooms have turned golden and shrunk a little (this will help concentrate the flavour). Scrape the mushrooms out of the pan into a bowl and give the pan a wipe.

Add 1 tbsp of olive oil and the butter to the pan and cook the shallots and garlic until softened. Add the porcini and risotto rice and stir until coated. Tip in the wine and simmer until it’s all absorbed. Gradually add the porcini stock liquid, stirring constantly until the rice is almost tender, then add the wild mushrooms. Add the last of the stock along with the spinach or Swiss chard, pecorino and lemon zest. Take off the heat, put on a lid and sit for 5 minutes before serving in bowls with extra cheese, if liked.