Wild mushroom risotto

I was never a great fan of mushrooms until I started to pick my own. From the end of August until sometime in October it is common to find Finnish people heading out to the countryside with buckets (and funny hats to ward off the elk flies) in order to pick mushrooms. Everyone has their own favourite mushroom picking spots and many would keep the secret of where these places are - even on their deathbeds! I'm no expert, only confidently able to pick two types, the yellow chanterelle and it's darker and in my opinion much tastier cousin suppilovahvero, also known as yellowfoot. I love doing this every autumn and it's great to then dry what you have picked so you have plenty of mushrooms for the whole year round.

Risotto is a great dish. It is quite quick, however it is attention demanding - requiring constant attention from the moment you add the rice. I don't know if the alcohol is important but most recipes I have found usually suggest white wine or dry martini. Although I have been known to use red wine, which makes the risotto a bit pink! The most important thing with risotto is to keep stirring as this helps make it really soft and creamy by releasing the starch from the rice grains. I have used chanterelle mushrooms before for this, however I found it a bit bland. The nuttier more flavourful suppilovahvero are much better in my opinion for risotto. This risotto is great served with a nice piece or red meat such as beef or lamb, or enjoyed by itself.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• handful dried/fresh wild mushrooms e.g. porcini or my personal favourite - yellowfoot (suppilovahvero)
• olive oil approx. 2 tbsp
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 1 stick of celery, finely chopped (optional)
• 250 ml wine or martini or vodka or cider
• 150-200 g arborio risotto rice
• 500 ml chicken or vegetable stock (you may need more...)
• 25 g parmesan, grated
• handful frozen or fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
• salt and pepper for seasoning

Method

1. If your mushrooms are dried, then you will need to rehydrate them. Do this by putting them in a bowl and cover them with hot water until they are soft. Drain away the water and pat them dry with some kitchen towel. Then chop the rehydrated or fresh mushrooms into quite small pieces (whatever size you prefer really). Dry fry for a few mins on a medium-hot neat until they don't look so wet. Be careful sometimes the mushrooms tend to jump around the pan!
2. Heat the olive oil in a pan. Fry the shallots and celery on a medium heat until the shallots become translucent, try not to brown the shallots if you can help it.
3. Turn the heat up to medium-hot and add the rice. Stir thoroughly to coat all the grains in oil and then add the wine/cider/martini or vodka. Stir until almost all the liquid has evaporated.
4. Start adding the stock to the rice. It is important to do this a bit at a time, by adding just enough to cover the rice and stirring constantly until the rice has absorbed the stock, then you can add more, bit by bit. You may not need all the stock and the risotto should look creamy towards the end (about 20mins after starting to add the stock)
5. The rice is cooked when it is al dente which is basically the Italian way of saying soft and cooked but still with a slight crunch/hardness to the grain. Essentially you should still be able to chew this meal and not have it so overcooked you could suck it through a straw!
6. Take the risotto off the heat and stir in the Parmesan and parsley. Season to taste and serve.

Hyvää Ruokahalua!