Wonderful Wild Mushroom & Truffle Oil Risotto

Now, i’m not someone who is especially ‘big’ on Mother’s Day. Sure, I like a lie in and a bacon sarnie in bed, and to have a day where my family recognises the role I play en famille on a day-to-day basis, but other than that I don’t really expect much in the way of gifts or ‘pampering’. Especially when the reality is a 3 year old who spends a fair portion of said day telling me, “I don’t like you, Mummy”, because I wouldn’t let him harass his poor Nanny into pretending to be a train for the hundredth time. Hurrah!

So I was SO chuffed when Adam surprised me by cooking myself, and our respective mums, a couple of favourite dishes for an ace Mother’s Day luncheon! (Sorry, I really had to say ‘luncheon’ then, we’ve clearly been watching far too much ‘Downtown Abbey’).

Risotto has always been one of my favourite dishes, and not one I tend to indulge in that much these days, what with trying to go low(er) carb most of the time, so it is a real treat when I do have it. Adam decided to go for a Gino D’Acampo ‘Wild Mushroom Risotto with Truffle Oil’, and it really IS worth the faff of soaking the porcini mushrooms beforehand. Adam served ours with a rocket and tomato salad, but it’s still tasty on its own.

You will need:

• large knob of butter

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 1 garlic clove, finely sliced

• 30g/1¼oz dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in a bowl of warm water for half an hour

• 450g/1lb wild mushrooms, such as trompette, girolle and oyster mushrooms, roughly chopped

• 300g/10½oz arborio rice

• splash of olive oil, if necessary

• 250ml/8¾ fl oz dry white wine

• 1.5 litres/2 pints 12¾fl oz chicken stock (or vegetable stock)

• ½ bunch parsley, roughly chopped

• 100g/3½oz parmesan, or similar vegetarian hard cheese, finely grated

• drizzle truffle oil, to serve

Instructions:

1. Melt the butter in a deep frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and fry gently until translucent.
2. Drain the soaked porcini, reserving about 300ml/10½fl oz of the soaking water.
3. Increase the heat to high and add the mushrooms to the pan. Cook over a high heat for 2-3 minutes and then add the rice. If at this point the mixture is drying out add a splash of olive oil. Fry the mixture for 2-3 minutes until the rice is slightly translucent.
4. Add the wine and simmer until the liquid is mostly absorbed, then add a ladleful of stock.
5. Continue to cook the rice, adding a ladleful of stock at a time and stirring continuously until the liquid is absorbed by the rice. The rice should take about 18-20 minutes to cook.
6. Once the rice is tender, take the pan off the heat and stir in the parsley and parmesan.
7. Divide the risotto among four serving plates, drizzle with truffle oil and serve.

Amazing!