Forest mushroom risotto – risotto ai funghi porcini

Happily on my way back home I stopped in a forest and after 5 min. I found mushrooms! I must admit that until quite recently I didn’t eat mushrooms! As we have to grow up to certain things we even start to eat mushrooms!

Forest mushrooms require special treatment and not too many additions as we don’t want to “kill” its brilliant flavour! Forest mushroom risotto was a great success! Delicious dinner requires your effort: one hour stirring the rice is a minimum!


Ingredients
14 oz (400 g) Arborio rice
50 fl oz (1,5 l) bullion (depends on rice)
forest mushroom (depends on how many you found in a forest)
7 fl oz (200 ml) dry white wine
½ onion
3 oz (80 g) fresh Parmesan
3 oz (80 g) butter
2 tbsp oil
salt, pepper


Method
Heat up the bullion in a sauce pan. Heat up 1 tbsp butter and oil in a pan, sauté thinly chopped onion (can’t get brown!). Add rice, make sure each the rice is well coated with oil and butter. Add wine, the remaining ½ butter and ladle warm bullion. Add chopped mushrooms. Continuing stirring gradually add more bullion one tablespoon bullion at the time to be absorbed. Add the Parmesan, season with salt (attention: cheese and bullion are salty!) and pepper. When the rice is soft and has a nice creamy consistency add cooled butter. Served with grated Parmesan.

Rice pudding with gingerbread plum sauce

The Autumn is in my opinion the best time for ice-creams or other dessert straight from the fridge. It is different with warm rice with a flavour of vanilla and cinnamon, break with lightly sour plum sauce. There is nothing better than sweet finish of a meal.

Ingredients ( make 4 big portions)
1 cup rice
2 cups milk
1 cup sour cream (min. 18%)
pinch salt
2 tbsp sugar (best with real vanilla)
½ vanilla stick
18 oz (500 g) plums
4 tbsp brown sugar (+/- depends on the fruit sweetness)
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
4 gloves
2 tbsp water


Method
Rinse the rice. Cook in a pot with milk, sour cream, season with salt and sugar. Add the vanilla stick (you should cut it in half and get out the beans), stir from time to time until the rice gets soft. In another pot cook on a low heat stoned plums with water and spices until smooth and thick sauce. In a dessert bowls gently combine warm, creamy rice with the sauce.

Risotto with green bean and prosciutto ham

Risotto is one of my favourite dinner dishes. It is not a fast to make dish but it’s worth the time! This creamy rice you can make with thousands of additions! One day with green beans, other with asparagus, other with mushroom…and still it’s not enough!

Ingredients (make 4 portions)
400 g (14 oz) Arborio rice
80 g (3 oz) fresh ground Parmesan
80 g (3 oz) butter
200 ml (7 fl oz) dry white wine
1 l (35 fl oz) stock (well seasoned)
1 medium onion
1 cup fresh green beans
Handful chopped parsley
Freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp chopped chives
4 slices aromatic ham (i.e. prosciutto)


Method
Bullion bring to boil. Sauté the chopped onion with 2 tbsp butter, add rice. Well combine the rice with butter, so each rice grain is covered with butter. Pour in the wine, boil for 2 min. Gradually add hot bullion, rice should absorb the bullion. Stir all the time.

After 40 min, when rice is almost ready add parsley, pepper and green beans. Turn off the heat, add the Parmesan and the rest of cold butter. Stir (should be creamy sauce). Each portion decorate with slices of ham, chives and fresh pepper.