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Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients

1/4 cup dried mushrooms, such asporcini, morels, or hen of the woods
1/2 cup warm water
1 1/4–1 1/2 cups flavorful broth (chicken, duck, goose, or vegetable stock)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 fat shallots, chopped
2/3 cup short-grain Italian rice,such as Arborio
A generous splash of white wine
1/4 pound fresh mushrooms
1 tablespoon butter
A sprinkling of grated Parmesan

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Soak the dried mushrooms in the warm water for 30 minutes. Strain over a small pan to catch the soaking liquid, then pour in the broth, and heat just to a simmer. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small, heavy pot, and sauté the shallots slowly for 4–5 minutes, until they have released their liquid but are not at all browned. Add the rice, and let it glaze as you stir it—about 1 minute. Pour in the wine, and reduce it until it’s absorbed. Now start adding the hot broth liquid about 1/3 cup at a time, stirring and scraping up the rice from the bottom. After each addition of liquid is absorbed, add the next, stirring frequently.

    Step 2

    Meanwhile, in another small pan, sauté the fresh mushrooms in 2 teaspoons of the butter. When they have released their liquid, add the drained dried mushrooms and stir together. When the rice has cooked about 20 minutes and has absorbed most of the hot liquid, toss the mushrooms in with the rice. Add the remaining liquid, and let everything cook together for 4–5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and fold in the remaining teaspoon of butter and the Parmesan. Spoon into a warm bowl, and relish every mouthful of this creamy, earthy dish.

The Pleasures of Cooking for One by Judith Jones. Copyright © 2009 by Judith Jones. Published by Knopf. All Rights Reserved. Judith Jones is senior editor and vice president at Alfred A. Knopf. She is the author of The Tenth Muse: My Life in Food and the coauthor with Evan Jones (her late husband) of three books: The Book of Bread; Knead It, Punch It, Bake It!; and The Book of New New England Cookery. She also collaborated with Angus Cameron on The L. L. Bean Game and Fish Cookbook, and has contributed to Vogue, Saveur, and Gourmet magazines. In 2006, she was awarded the James Beard Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. She lives in New York City and Vermont.
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