[F]1: Mushroom Risotto

Yields about 3# of par-cooked risotto, scale recipe for your needs

Truffled Porcini Risotto

2.5 LBS Carnaroli Rice
Hot Chicken Stock - As needed (about 1 Gal for initial cook, 1/3-1/2 gal for finishing)
1 Cup Soffrito (Blend up 1 LB mirepoix and cook slowly until flavors blend)
100 g garlic, sliced
2 cups white wine
80 g butter
250 g porcini mushrooms, dried (rehydrate the mushrooms in the wine (15-20 minutes fully immersed) and remove and rough chop them. Reserve the wine.


In a large skillet (or rondeau) over high heat, add butter. Allow butter to brown very slightly around edges, then add rice. Stir constantly. You want to completely coat the rice in the butter, and begin to toast the rice. It should begin to smell like popcorn, and take on a very light brown hue. Add your garlic, and keep stirring, allowing the ambient heat from the rice to sweat the garlic. Add the soffrito and continue stirring, fully incorporating it into the rice. Deglaze your pan with the wine and mushrooms. Once the wine has reduced au sec (essentially almost fully evaporated), begin adding your stock a couple ladles at a time (smaller batches call for smaller additions of stock). Add stock and stir vigorously until it is absorbed by the rice, and then repeat. Once you are about halfway through your gallon of stock, stop stirring the risotto. You will add stock, and let some of the rice begin to stick to the bottom of the pan. Using this technique of allowing the rice to stick and then scraping it off helps to break up the starches in the rice, and gives you a creamier end result. To check the risotto for doneness, pull out 5 grains of rice at a time. Press them individually firmly between your thumb and finger and crush each grain of rice. They should smash relatively easily and look like a spinal cord. At the restaurant we made this sound fancier and coined the term "au spine". Once this has been achieved, remove risotto onto a sheet tray or baking tray and allow to cool in the fridge.

You now have par-cooked risotto (which if you are entertaining or cooking in the industry can be and is encouraged to be done ahead of time). Now the exciting part.

Have your girl over for dinner, or just have a sofisticated and delicious starch that can be executed very simply.

For service (6 oz being 1 portion for 1 person, scale as necessary)
Chicken stock as needed (cold or warm)
about 1 TBSP Mascarpone per 6 oz Risotto
1 T finely minced italian parsley
3 finger pinch of kosher salt per 6 oz risotto (for larger scalings, reduce salt and finish at the end with necessary seasoning)
1 oz White truffle oil per 6 oz risotto
1 oz butter per 6 oz risotto

In a pan, add as many portions of risotto as necessary, about 1/2 cup of chicken stock per portion, and a 3 finger pinch of salt. Bring stock to a boil over high heat. Once stock begins to boil, add mascarpone and reduce heat to medium. This will keep the cheese from separating. Stir risotto to incorporate ingredients and to release starch from the rice. You are looking for the rice to be completely suspended in its own sauce (made from the starch that the rice releases) while still maintaining a little bite. Keep in mind that bad risotto is textureless mushy risotto. You don't want it crunchy, but you are looking for something similar to al dente pasta. Once this has been achieved (slightly more stock may be necessary) finish with butter and parsley. Stir to incorporate, and immediately before plating stir in your truffle oil. Taste for final seasoning, and plate.

To the OP - Give it a try! mushroom risotto is delicious and I know you can do it. Cooking is about exploring and constantly learning. If I have learned one thing in my years of working in restaurants, its that if you stop learning you need to find a new career.

Have the family over, or cook a dinner for your girl. The best part of good food is sharing it with people you care about.