Here’s a little taste from my RTE TV show Catherine Celebrates Easter.
Happy Easter!
Serves 4
30g dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 200ml boiling water for 20 minutes
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
1 tsp chopped thyme
300g risotto rice (arborio or carnaroli)
200g selection of wild mushrooms, sliced
120ml medium dry white wine
800ml vegetable stock, heated to simmering
3 tbsp grated parmesan
1 tbsp chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 chestnut mushrooms, sliced (you need 12 slices), to garnish
2 tbsp roughly chopped walnuts, to garnish
Chopped parsley, to garnish
Parmesan shavings, to garnish
Drain the porcini liquid into the heated vegetable stock and roughly chop the soaked porcini.
To prepare the risotto, heat a large saucepan and add 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp of butter. When the butter is foaming, add the onion and cook on a low heat for about 7 minutes until it softens but does not brown. Add the garlic, thyme and mushrooms and cook on a high heat until the mushrooms have cooked through (about 4 minutes) then stir in the rice, and cook for a few minutes until the rice is shiny and opaque. Increase the heat, add the chopped porcini and pour in the wine, cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring from time to time.
Reduce the heat and add a ladleful of stock at a time, stirring constantly until each ladleful is absorbed. The rice should be creamy but firm to the bite. (al dente)
Stir in grated parmesan and parsley and check the seasoning, adding salt and freshly ground black pepper if needed.
Separately, heat a frying pan with some butter and oil and, add the sliced chestnut mushrooms and fry on both slides. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Serve in bowls, spoon in the risotto, garnish with the fried chestnut mushrooms, sprinkle over the chopped walnuts. Finish with parmesan shavings and chopped parsley and serve immediately.
