Mushroom Risotto

When I have time, I find risotto one of the most meditative meals to make. The therapy of chopping an onion and watching it slowly sweat in melting butter alongside its best bud garlic. Brushing the grit off the mushrooms and dicing more than you think you’ll need, adding them to the buttery goodness and leaving them to meld into the flavours. For this risotto we discovered some dried porcini mushrooms in the back of the cupboard, which we let infuse in the stock for about twenty minutes and also added some thyme leaves. Then comes the rice; 400g of arborio, folding the grains into the vegetables. And now, for the most restorative part of the evening—the white wine, a generous glass for yourself and another for the rice. Continue to stir the rice and watch it begin to absorb the liquid, when it does so you can start to add the stock, carefully stirring so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Patience is paramount in this instance, keeping an eye and watching and waiting for your rice to absorb the liquid before adding more. Taste for seasoning and to check the rice’s bite and finally stir in a generous handful of Parmesan. Serve with more Parmesan and a crisp white wine.