Saffron Milk Cap Mushroom Risotto
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4
- 1/2 cup/125ml/4flozs. extra virgin olive oil, divided in two
- 2 tablespoons butter (I used Coppertree Farms truffle butter)
- 300g/10.6ozs. saffron milk cap mushrooms, stems removed and sliced thinly
- 3 sprigs thyme
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
- 1 large yellow or white onion
- 1/2 cup/105g/3.7ozs. arborio rice
- 4 cups/1litre/2.1pints chicken stock
- Pinch of saffron
- 2/3 cup/165mls/5.5flozs dry white wine
- 1/2 cup/125ml/4flozs cream
- 25g/1oz blue cheese
Step 1 - Heat half of the olive oil in a frying pan along with the butter and sauté the mushrooms on medium high heat turning so that they all get a "bath" in the butter and oil. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the pan and set aside.
Step 2 - Add the remaining half of olive oil and the onion to the same pan and sauté on medium heat. You don't want the onion browned or caramelised, just cooked through and translucent. This can take 5-8 minutes. While the onion is cooking heat up the stock and saffron in a saucepan and keep on low heat on another hob.
Step 3 - When the onion is buttery soft and translucent add the rice and stir to coat the grains in the oil. Then add a ladle of chicken stock and stir and allow to absorb the liquid. Keep adding a ladleful of stock and stir to absorb - it doesn't have to be constant stirring - I add the stock into the rice and then stir it once and leave it to absorb. Repeat until all of the stock is used and the rice is cooked (around 15-20 minutes). Towards the end you can add more ladlefuls of stock at a time but in the first half add 1 ladle at a time. Add the white wine and let this absorb and add the crumbled blue cheese and cream and stir. Add half of the mushrooms and stir through and add seasoning.
Step 4 - Spoon the rice onto a serving plate or bowl (it shouldn't be a high pile of rice). Top with the remaining half of mushrooms and chopped chives or parsley.