Risotto ai funghi con pomodorini

 I was the grateful recipient of some lovely Carluccio Carnaroli rice and dried porcini for Christmas and have since since been eager to cook with them. I do love risotto but never order it in a restaurant following  a catalogue of claggy disappointments (apart from Theo Randall at the Intercontinental who achieved perfection in consistency and perfection in pretty much everything else as well). This is how I do it.

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups risotto rice
1.5 litres (approx.) chicken stock
dried porcini, a small handful
2-3 rashers of bacon / pancetta
chestnut mushrooms, about 1/2 a punnet, more if you prefer.
1/2 lemon
parsley, finely chopped
Parmesan cheese
cherry tomatoes, 13-20 ish
butter
olive oil
 

                                                  Dried porcini





  Carluccio carnaroli rice

                                        Start by pouring some hot water onto the porcini to re-hydrate, leave for about 20 mins or until softened.

 Fry onion in olive oil until slightly golden (ignore the bacon in this photo, I added it to the wrong pan accidentally and subsequently fished it out).

Meanwhile in a separate pan cook the bacon and chestnut mushrooms in olive oil on a high heat until the bacon is crispy and the mushrooms have a nice golden colour.

Add the rice to the onions, stirring to coat with the olive oil. Let it cook like this for 3-4 mins, stirring to make sure the rice doesn't stick.  Then add a splosh of stock and stir until absorbed. Repeat this process of stirring and adding a little stock each time until the rice is cooked to your liking (it is important that the rice is cooked through but not mushy and still retains some texture).

When the bacon and chestnut mushrooms are cooked, add the porcini to the pan (reserving the liquid) and the juice of 1/2 lemon. Season generously with salt and pepper then mix into the rice. 

 When the rice is almost cooked, stir in about this much grated Parmesan. Add the liquid the porcini have been soaking in (take care not to add the grit which will have sunk to the bottom of the bowl). Season.

                                                                     Add cherry tomatoes and let them cook for 3-4 mins.

You don't need to use all of the stock if you don't need it, but make sure the risotto is not claggy and dry. It should have enough moisture so that it is all'onda (like a wave).If necessary add more stock now. Then add some finely chopped parsley. Check seasoning.

Remove from the heat and add a good chunk of butter, stir vigorously until it has melted into the rice.

                                                                       Serve with a bit more Parmesan sprinkled on top.