A shallow bowl of creamy mushroom risotto with pieces of rehydrated porcini, a glossy surface, grated Parmigiano and a pinch of truffle salt, beside a bag of dried porcini, a jar of truffle salt and a wooden spoon

Mushroom Risotto with Dried Porcini and Truffle Salt: The Pantry Version That Beats the Restaurant One

Fresh mushrooms make a pleasant risotto. Dried porcini make a great one, and the reason is the water. Soak an ounce of dried porcini in hot water for twenty minutes and you get two things: the mushrooms, now tender and intensely flavored, and a dark, savory liquid that is better than any stock you could buy. That liquid becomes the risotto. Fresh mushrooms give up their flavor into the pan and mostly lose it; dried ones give it to you in a jug, and you pour it back in a ladle at a time. This is the risotto that lives entirely in the pantry, and it is the one to make when it is dark by five.

Our dried mushroom guide covers the varieties and the soaking; this is the dish that follows. The truffle salt at the end comes from our truffle products guide, which explains why it goes on at the table and never in the pan.

The pantry

Dried porcini, an ounce, from our mushroom shelf; a mix of porcini and other dried wild mushrooms works too. Carnaroli rice, the Piedmontese variety that holds its shape and releases starch slowly, from the grains shelf; arborio is the fallback. Mushroom Garum, one spoon, for the depth a slice of pancetta would give. Butter, an onion or two shallots, a splash of white wine, Parmigiano, and Jacobsen's white truffle salt for the finish.

The recipe

Serves four. About forty minutes.

  • 1 ounce (30 g) dried porcini
  • 5 cups hot water, plus more as needed
  • 3 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion or 2 shallots, finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups (300 g) carnaroli rice
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 tablespoon Mushroom Garum
  • Salt
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano, plus more to serve
  • Truffle salt, chopped parsley, black pepper, to finish
  1. Put the porcini in a bowl, pour the hot water over, and soak for 20 minutes. Lift the mushrooms out with a slotted spoon, squeeze them gently over the bowl, and chop them roughly. Pour the soaking liquid through a fine sieve or a coffee filter into a saucepan, leaving the last spoonful of grit behind. Keep the liquid hot over low heat; this is your stock. Season it lightly with salt.
  2. In a wide heavy pot, warm 2 tablespoons of the butter with the oil over medium heat. Cook the onion until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes, without browning.
  3. Add the rice and stir for 2 minutes until the grains are hot and glossy and the edges look translucent. This toasting is what keeps the risotto from turning gluey.
  4. Add the wine and stir until it has almost all evaporated.
  5. Add the chopped porcini and a ladle of the hot soaking liquid. Stir, and keep the risotto at a lively simmer. When the liquid is nearly absorbed, add another ladle. Continue this way, stirring often but not constantly, for about 18 minutes. Taste a grain at 16; it should be tender with a small firm center.
  6. When the rice is nearly done and the risotto is loose, stir in the Mushroom Garum. Taste for salt; the garum is salty and the Parmigiano is coming.
  7. Turn off the heat. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and the Parmigiano and beat the risotto hard with a wooden spoon for a minute, the mantecatura, until it is creamy and glossy. Add a last splash of hot liquid if it has tightened; a risotto should spread slowly across the plate, not stand up.
  8. Serve at once in warm shallow bowls. Finish each with a pinch of truffle salt, a grind of pepper, parsley and more Parmigiano at the table.

Why each step matters

Straining the soaking liquid removes grit, which is the only way a dried-mushroom dish goes wrong. Keeping the stock hot means the rice never stops cooking between ladles, which is what gives risotto its texture. Toasting the rice sets the outside of each grain so the starch releases slowly instead of all at once. The garum goes in late so its aroma survives. The butter and cheese go in off the heat, which is what makes the dish creamy without cream. And the truffle salt goes on at the table, where its aroma reaches the nose intact rather than boiling away in the pan, as the truffle guide explains at length.

Variations

A handful of fresh mushrooms, sautéed separately in butter until browned and folded in at the end, adds texture without diluting the flavor. A drop of black truffle oil over the bowl instead of the salt, for the version with more scent. A scattering of toasted hazelnuts on top, which is Piedmont's idea. A poached egg, which is dinner. And the day after, the cold risotto pressed into patties and fried in butter until crisp makes riso al salto, which some people prefer to the original.

The altitude note

In Denver, risotto takes longer to reach creaminess and drinks more liquid, because the water boils at 202°F and evaporates faster. Have an extra two cups of hot water beside the porcini stock and expect closer to 22 minutes than 18; our altitude guide has the rest. The porcini, carnaroli, garum, truffle salt and truffle oil are at 263 Josephine Street in Cherry Creek, Denver, and ship nationwide from theambrosianpantry.com. Parmigiano, butter and an onion are at any grocery, and they are all this dish needs from outside the pantry.

Sources & Further Reading

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