Wild Mushroom Risotto — Carluccio-Inspired

About This Recipe

This recipe channels Antonio Carluccio's lifelong devotion to Italian regional cooking and his famous 'MOF MOF' philosophy — Minimum Of Fuss, Maximum Of Flavour. Carluccio was Britain's leading authority on wild mushrooms and championed the Piedmontese risotto tradition. This dish uses dried porcini for deep umami plus fresh wild mushrooms for texture, finished classically mantecato — beaten with butter and Parmigiano off the heat for that signature glossy, wave-like texture.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 30 gdried porcini mushrooms
• 300 gmixed wild mushrooms(chanterelles, oyster, shiitake)
• 1.2 Lvegetable or chicken stock(kept hot)
• 60 gunsalted butter(divided)
• 1 smallonion(finely diced)
• 2 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 320 gCarnaroli rice(or Arborio)
• 150 mldry white wine
• 60 gParmigiano-Reggiano(finely grated)
• 2 tbspfresh flat-leaf parsley(chopped)
• salt and freshly cracked black pepper(to taste)

Instructions

1. 1

   Rehydrate the porcini

   Soak the dried porcini in 250ml of hot water for 20 minutes. Lift them out, squeeze and chop. Strain the soaking liquid through a coffee filter and add to the hot stock.

   The porcini soaking liquid is liquid gold — never throw it away.

2. 2

   Sauté the wild mushrooms

   Slice the fresh wild mushrooms. Heat 20g butter in a wide pan over high heat. Sauté the mushrooms in two batches for 3 minutes per batch until golden and any liquid has evaporated. Season with salt. Set aside.

3. 3

   Build the soffritto

   In a heavy-bottomed pan, melt 20g butter over medium heat. Sweat the onion for 5 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Stir in the rice and toast for 90 seconds, stirring constantly until each grain is coated and slightly translucent at the edges.

   Toasting the rice is non-negotiable — it gives risotto its structure.

4. 4

   Deglaze and add liquid

   Pour in the wine and stir until absorbed. Add the chopped porcini. Begin adding the hot stock one ladle at a time, stirring constantly. Wait until each addition is almost fully absorbed before adding the next. Continue for 16–18 minutes until the rice is al dente — yielding but with a slight bite at the centre.

5. 5

   Mantecatura — the final flourish

   Off the heat, add the remaining 20g butter, the sautéed wild mushrooms, the Parmigiano and a generous crack of black pepper. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon for 60 seconds — the risotto should become creamy, glossy and 'wave' when you tilt the pan (all'onda).

6. 6

   Serve immediately

   Risotto cannot wait. Serve at once in warm shallow bowls, shaped into flat discs (not piled). Scatter with parsley and an extra grating of Parmigiano. Eat with a spoon, from the edge inwards.

Variations

• •

  Risotto al Tartufo: shave fresh black or white truffle over the top in season.

• •

  Pumpkin Variation: substitute roasted pumpkin and sage butter for the wild mushrooms in autumn.

Storage

Risotto cannot truly be stored — it stiffens. Leftovers can be made into arancini (risotto fritters) the next day.

Frequently Asked Questions