WHILE RESEARCHING porcini risotto recipes, I was surprised to see how many ask you to cook the mushrooms first and then remove them from the pan before adding the risotto rice, as if they’re so fragile that they can only be added back into the dish later as a sort of frilly garnish on top.
Nonsense. The whole point is to allow the rice to take on the mushroom flavor as it cooks. Besides, even after a half-hour of cooking, fresh porcini mushrooms of good quality will retain their meaty texture. Why complicate the process?
Many recipes simply use dried porcini. This is fine out of season, though I would consider adding fresh mushrooms of some sort, even a bland supermarket variety like cremini, if only for texture. The best porcini risotto is the one that uses both fresh and dried porcini. Here’s mine:
8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup (approx 2 oz) dried porcini
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 lb fresh porcini, roughly chopped into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
2 tbsp butter
4 heaping tbsp mascarpone
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup (or more) sweet peas (frozen is fine)
salt and pepper, to taste
1. Warm stock just below simmer in a pot on stovetop.
2. Pulverize dried porcini in blender or food processor and add to stock.
3. In a large pan suitable for risotto, sauté onions, garlic, and fresh porcini in olive oil for several minutes over medium heat until mushrooms begin to brown ever so slightly, stirring regularly. I like to season the mixture with a few grindings of salt and pepper at this point.
4. De-glaze with white wine. When liquid has nearly bubbled off, add rice and stir well, coating thoroughly. Allow rice to cook until slightly toasted, 2-3 minutes.
5. Add 4-5 ladlefuls of stock to pan, stirring. It helps to have a risotto spoon. Reduce heat to medium-low. Continue to add a ladle or two of warm stock as the liquid is absorbed, stirring regularly, about 15 minutes.
6. Risotto is nearly done when creamy yet al dente. Now stir in the butter, mascarpone, and half the parmesan along with a couple more ladles of stock, then mix in the peas, and cover for a a minute.
The finished risotto should be rich and creamy. The peas add a dash of color and nice pops of texture as a counterpoint to the porcini and rice. Add salt if necessary. For an attractive and tasty garnish, thinly slice a couple small porcini buttons and saute in butter until lightly browned. For a soupier risotto, add more stock. Serve with remaining parmesan as a garnish. Serves 4.
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I like your style of combining the fresh and dried porcini. Dried porcini have such a strong, amazing, funky aroma. They don’t really seem like the same shroom at all.
Have you tried using pearl barley in lieu of Arborio rice?
I love featuring wild mushrooms in risotto! I have a question for you that is basically unrelated to this post, although it is about mushrooms. Have you ever dried chanterelles? If so, how’d you do it? I read another post of yours that explains how you saute and freeze them. Is that the preferred way to store them? After all this rain I took a morning walk to my secret picking spot and was all smiles to see the first chanties poking up through the duff, glowing golden and lovely… aaah.
I love this blog and hype it everyday…but wonder if those Boletes in the first picture are from this season
Michael – Hey, I know what you mean about dried vs. fresh. Seems like two different species. They work together really nicely though.
Amy – Not barley, but I’ve got a porcini recipe using farro which is killer.
Jodi – Don’t bother drying chanterelles–rehydrated they’re chewy and lose much of their flavor, unlike porcini. Saute your chanties in butter and freeze. Or try the dry-saute method. Read more here.
M – Some of those pictures are old but useful as illustrations. The risotto was made & photographed last week with freshly picked porcini and dried porcini. Those boletes in the picture at top were picked this August in Colorado. Same species as here in WA, though with redder caps. I liked the picture. If you’re asking whether it’s possible to have a bunch of porcini like that right now in the PacNW, the answer is yes. I’ve got 2 dozen prime boletes in my fridge from a foray yesterday (Sept. 14). Thanks for reminding me to get some new photos!
can you give a general indication of where you’re finding the boletes? Mountains or coast? I have foraged chanterelles (almost too easy – they’re always around) but have never found b. edulis.
Maybe I’m looking in the wrong places. I certainly don’t find them in the lowland Doug fir forests where I find chants…
Thanks LC,
All your photos are great and I wish they were in the book! The videos are fun too! Seriously, the Travel Chanel should be talking with you.
Any book tour events approaching?
Gorgeous as usual, Lang. I can’t wait to get Zeph out for his first foray. Got the baby backpack ready to go!
cèpes …
We used your recipe tonight with some porcini I found in the Cascades on Friday and some dried spring boletes from May of this year.
Delicious!
Thanks!
These are great and well written articles. I know a few spots in the Cascades, both East and West where I can find the kings, but never 35 lbs unless it several 4 pounders which, not quite No. 1’s. What I’ve learned from you today? The short growth period; I’ve always thought they had a similar fruiting to chanties. No wonder I find them wormy. I have also suspected that spring and summer/fall Kings were two different species, their habits and appearance, the spring being deeper in the ground and more knotted, always led me to believe that they were not the same thing, though taste wise, they’re very similar. You are the first to tell me they are not the same. And a Sitka Spruce? That’s news to me. I guess I should think more coastal.
Thanks for your wisdom and sharing a bit of the stories of the people you spend time with.
I’ve often wondered if I quit my day job, could live like Doug? I’m afraid I’ve romanced it much more in my mind than the reality.
This recipe is so, so, so, so delicious. And forgiving! I’ve made it quite a few times now. When I follow the recipe it tastes amazing. When I stray from it a little (or a lot), it still tastes amazing. I never have a need to even try another mushroom risotto recipe ever again. This cooks up the perfect bowl I dream of, every time.
Thank you so much for sharing it! I am grateful!