Creamy mushroom risotto

📝 Ingredients

• 100 g arborio or carnaroli rice (never anything else for a real risotto)
• 200 g mushrooms (button mushrooms + a few shiitake if possible)
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove
• 80 ml dry white wine
• 700 ml hot vegetable stock (keep at a simmer)
• 25 g butter
• 25 g freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt, pepper, fresh thyme, flat-leaf parsley

🍴 Utensils

• Saucepan for the stock
• Wide sauté pan or heavy-bottomed saucepan
• Ladle
• Whisk

📖 Steps

1. Heat the stock in a saucepan and keep it warm over low heat — adding cold stock interrupts the risotto's cooking.
2. Sauté the sliced mushrooms in the oil over high heat, in small batches so they brown rather than stew. Season with salt and thyme. Set aside.
3. In the same pan, melt half the butter over medium heat. Sauté the shallot and garlic for 3 min.
4. Add the raw rice and stir for 2 min until translucent with a pearly core — this is the "tostatura", which seals the rice.
5. Pour in the white wine all at once. Stir until fully absorbed.
6. Add the hot stock one ladle at a time, stirring constantly. Only add the next ladle once the previous one has been absorbed. Repeat for 18–20 min.
7. Off the heat, add the remaining cold butter and the Parmesan. Stir vigorously — this is the "mantecatura". Fold in the mushrooms. Season with pepper. Serve immediately.