Morel Risotto

Risotto is basically an Italian appetizer that restaurants over the years have wanted to turn into a luxury dish. But we can understand why. It’s only rice, but so much more than rice! I give you here a first recipe of risotto. There are countless recipes, but you have to start somewhere! So here is a recipe for morel risotto, one of my favorites!

Recipe of “risotto with morels” for 4 persons:

-300g of carnoli or arborio rice
-1 liter of vegetable broth
-25g of dried morels (or a packet of frozen morels)
-35g of parmesan cheese
-a glass of white wine
-2 small shallots
-30g of butter and a tablespoon of olive oil
-ciboulette

If using dried morels, put them in a bowl or jar and pour in warm/hot water.

Let the morels swell for a good fifteen minutes. I save the soaking water to cook the rice with. The rice will also have the scent of morels in its cooking!

I add water to obtain 1 liter of broth and I add to that 2 vegetable broths. I use the brand on the picture (maggi) because there are no flavor enhancers and other glutamates.

Bernard’s advice:
it goes without saying that with a homemade vegetable broth, the risotto will be even better. I’ve made it a few times before, but this makes the risotto a little longer to prepare! I reserve the homemade broth for a planned dinner, but for an impromptu risotto I use the ready-made broth! For a homemade broth: carrots, celery, onions, potatoes, leeks with 1.5l of water and the juice of morels!

Do not forget to cook the soaked morels. Cook in boiling water for 10 minutes.

Drain well and cut the morels into pieces.

Put 15g of butter (out of the 30) in a frying pan and brown the morels over low heat. Season with salt and pepper.

Once the morels start to brown, turn off the heat and set aside.

Put the remaining 15g of butter and the olive oil in a saucepan, and brown the finely chopped shallots over low heat.

Do not let it brown, just develop the flavors. Add the rice. Stir well to coat all the grains with fat.

Pour in the white wine. Mix well, the rice will then quickly absorb all the liquid.

Mix well, always over low heat.

Then add the first large ladleful of morel broth. Mix well and let the rice absorb the liquid. Some people put all the broth in at once, but I prefer to go by ladles and let the rice gently absorb the juice as it goes. Stir with a spoon from time to time to prevent the bottom from sticking.

While the risotto is simmering, grate the fresh parmesan cheese.

Continue to pour the juice and let the rice absorb.

Once the rice has drunk all the broth, pour in the Parmesan cheese. We will now “mantecare”! Which means we’ll butter the risotto! But here, the fat will be the parmesan. Stir the risotto briskly at this point to incorporate all the cheese. This is normally done with a wooden spoon with a hole in it.