This risotto is my granny's recipe, Nonna Lu's, and I haven't changed it a bit, please read the referenced post as it will give you an incredible insight in how to make this your best risotto ever!
It will take you just 30 mins from time to finish, including the preparation and cooking time.
Please have a read of the technique to make a risotto before reading this recipe.
Ingredients (serves 2):
120gr risotto rice (Carnaroli or Arborio) - this quantity makes a 1st course, but if this is your main dish for the night, use 80gr per person
1 liter of vegetable broth (if diners aren't vegetarian use beef broth, much better with this risotto)
2 slugs of olive oil
15gr butter for the "mantecatura"
3 chestnut mushrooms (125gr), washed and diced
20 gr dry porcini mushrooms
2 Tbsp dry parsley (or 3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley)
1 and 1/2 onion finely diced (but not minced)
1 glass of red or white wine (it really doesn't matter, but I do prefer to use red here)
Fine salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Method:
Put the dry porcini in a big cup, fill it with boiling water (230-240ml), stir them, cover them with a saucer and set aside
After 30 minutes lift the porcini mushrooms from the cup by hand, cut them in pieces and set aside
Strain the porcini water through a fine sieve (even better would be coating the sieve with a muslin cloth) and set aside (but keep warm)
Warm up the broth until it's simmering and keep it at that temperature next to you
Stir fry the onion in the slug of olive oil to make a soffritto until soft and golden
Add the risotto rice and stir it until it "pearls"
Add a glass of red or white wine and stir it well - it will absorb it in a second
Add the sliced fresh mushrooms and 1 Tbsp of parsley (if using it dry, otherwise add 2 Tbsp of fresh parsley) and stir fry over medium heat stirring constantly until the content of the pot is dry again
Add the warm broth one ladle spoon at a time, ensuring the rice has fully absorbed the liquid before adding another ladle spoon
TIP: never add all the broth at once, this method allows the amid to be released from the rice, giving it the typical creamy texture, plu the rice will be perfectly cooked before you finish all the measured liquid
After 10 mins add the porcini mushrooms pieces
Now, rather than the broth, add slowly the reserved and sieved porcini water
After 5 mins start tasting the rice and continue to add the broth a little bit at a time, stopping as soon as the rice is cooked and still "al dente"
TIP: The Risotto “punto di cottura” (= cooking point) is achieved without adding any more liquid, but keeping the pot on the heat and continously stirring, allowing for the rice to absorb any excess liquid that remained in the pot
TIP: the risotto will stick to the bottom, that's normal, just do not lift what was sticking when stirring it (but of course, do not let it burn, sticking and burning are different concepts!)
The picture above is your pot at the end of the risotto - note that it's brown because porcini are brown, not because it burnt! (Overnight soaking in boling water, bicarbonate of soda and washing up liquid will sort it)
Add the salt and pepper at this stage
TIP: never add all the broth at once, it will be ready before you finish all the measured liquid
Take the risotto off the hob and proceed with the "mantecatura": add the butter, the parmisan and the other Tbsp of parsley and stir it very well
Add 1 Tbsp of parmisan and stir it well
Serve warm with extra parmisan in a bowl at the table