Method

Soak dried porcini for 30 minutes in 1 cup warm water.  Drain porcini, strain soaking liquid, and reserve.  Chop porcini.

Heat the chicken stock along with the reserved strained porcini soaking liquid.  You want to use warm liquid in the risotto, so keep the flame low enough to just keep warm.  Cover so you don't lose the liquid through steam. 

In a medium=sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium high heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter with the 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Stir in rice, and cook to toast it a little.  When it starts to sizzle , about 1 minute, stir in the porcini and the fresh mushrooms. Do not let rice brown.

Stir in wine.  When almost all the liquid has been absorbed, about 2 minutes, add just enough hot stock to cover the rice. Lower the heat to maintain a vigorous simmer, stirring frequently. 

When the stock is almost totally absorbed, add enough to cover the rice, along with a pinch of salt.  Check on the risotto every 3 or 4 minutes, giving it a stir to make sure it isn't sticking to the bottom of the pan, and adding just enough stock to   cover the rice when the liquid has almost disappeared. 

Continue this way until the rice is just al dente, about 20 minutes total cooking time.   When ready to serve, add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and stir vigorously for a few seconds.  Stir in parsley and cheese.   Taste for seasoning and adjust with more salt if not to your own taste.  The risotto should be moist and creamy, not runny.   Serve immediately, garnished with parsley and with a nice bowl of freshly grated cheese if you like more.

As with all Italian recipes, this should be to your own taste. Nothing is more authentic than cooking to your own taste. Risotto is a specialty of the Lombardy region of Italy, though cooked everywhere today.  

Contributor: pat ciesla

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