Mushroom Risotto
Ingredients
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- 1 cup water – boiling (for soaking porcini)
- 1/2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
- 6 cups vegetable stock – kept hot
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 12 ounces cremini mushrooms – sliced (~19 medium cremini mushrooms)
- 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms – stems removed, sliced (~7.5 medium shiitake mushrooms)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoons black pepper – freshly ground
- 3/4 cups yellow onion – finely chopped (~1 medium yellow onion)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
- 1/2 cups dry white wine
- 3/4 cups Parmigiano-Reggiano – finely grated
- flat-leaf parsley – chopped (for serving)
Instructions
1. Pour the boiling water over the dried porcini mushrooms in a heatproof bowl and let soak until softened, about 15 minutes. Lift out the porcini, finely chop, and strain the soaking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve or coffee filter to remove grit. Add the strained porcini liquid to the vegetable stock in a saucepan and keep it at a bare simmer over low heat.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the extra-virgin olive oil in a wide, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the cremini and shiitake mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until their liquid evaporates and they are browned, 8–10 minutes. Season with a pinch of the kosher salt and black pepper, then transfer the mushrooms to a bowl.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon unsalted butter to the same pot. Add the finely chopped onion and a pinch of kosher salt. Cook, stirring, until the onion is soft and translucent without browning, 4–5 minutes.
4. Stir in the arborio rice to coat with the fat and toast, stirring constantly, until the grains are hot and the edges look translucent, about 2 minutes.
5. Add the chopped porcini and cook for 1 minute, stirring to combine.
6. Pour in the dry white wine and simmer, stirring, until nearly absorbed, 2–3 minutes.
7. Begin adding the hot stock a ladleful at a time (about 0.5 cup), stirring frequently and maintaining a gentle simmer. Add more stock as each addition is mostly absorbed. After about 12 minutes, fold in the sautéed mushrooms. Continue adding stock and stirring until the rice is just al dente and suspended in a creamy sauce, 18–20 minutes total; you may not need all the stock.
8. Remove the pot from the heat. Vigorously stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and the Parmigiano-Reggiano until glossy and creamy. Season with the remaining kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Let rest 1 minute to settle.
9. Serve immediately in warm bowls, topped with chopped flat-leaf parsley (for serving).
Mushroom risotto, or risotto ai funghi, is a northern Italian staple that showcases the country’s short-grain rices and careful stovetop technique. The dish builds flavor in layers: first by toasting the rice, then by gradually adding hot broth while stirring to coax out the rice’s natural starches. It finishes with mantecatura, the off‑heat emulsification of butter and cheese that gives risotto its signature sheen and flow.
Porcini mushrooms are especially prized in Italy for their deep, woodsy aroma, and they often appear in dried form to concentrate their flavor. Many cooks blend dried porcini with fresh cultivated mushrooms to balance intensity and texture. The goal is a spoonable, wave-like consistency—neither soupy nor stiff—with distinct, tender grains wrapped in a velvety sauce.