Risotto With Mushrooms

Photo: flickr user Charles Haynes

Ingredients

1/2 ounce dried wild mushrooms (Boletus edulis)

5 tablespoons butter

1/2 med. onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1 sm. carrot, finely chopped

1 pound fresh mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed

thinly sliced

2 1/2 cups Arborio rice

Pinch of salt

6 cups vegetable broth

Preparation

Soak the dried mushrooms in 1 cup of warm water, remove carefully from the water, reserving the liquid, rinse under cold running water to remove grit and sand, drain, chop coarsely and set aside. Strain the soaking liquid through a thick layer of cheesecloth or a coffee filter and set aside.

Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large, heavy saucepan, add the onion, parsley, celery and carrot and saute over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the fresh and dried mushrooms and saute for another 2 minutes. Stir in the rice and salt and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Pour in the liquid in which the dried mushrooms were soaked, then the broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until the rice is cooked al dente. Do not over cook. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine well and serve immediately. s