- 350-500g/12oz-1lb2oz porcini/ceps (and/or other fresh wild mushrooms), cleaned and sliced
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 125g/4oz butter
- 350g12oz arborio rice
- 1 litre/1ž pint good stock
- at least 110g/4oz fresh parmesan, or vegetarian parmesan-style grating cheese
- 1 tbsp best olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- In a large pan bring the stock almost to the boil and keep hot on a very low flame.
- In another pan melt the butter and sweat the onion until softened but not brown. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for a few more minutes.
- Add the rice, stir well and cook until well coated and slightly translucent.
- Add a ladle of hot stock and let it simmer gently until absorbed by the rice. Add another, and so on, until the rice is cooked (15-20 minutes). As a general rule for risottos, you need four times as much water as rice, by volume. And the rice is done when tender but still just a tiny bit chalky in the middle.
- Check the seasoning and stir in the olive oil, remaining butter and a couple of spoonfuls of grated parmesan.
- Serve at once with the rest of the parmesan on the table.