Mushroom Risotto

First prepare the base from dried porcini mushrooms by soaking them in 200 ml of warm water. After 15 minutes, drain them (save the water!) and chop them coarsely. Heat the broth base in a pot and add the strained mushroom soaking water. The liquid should be kept just below a boil at all times.

Clean the fresh mushrooms and slice them. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan and sauté the mushrooms over high heat until golden-brown (do not stew them!). Remove half of the sautéed mushrooms from the pan and set them aside for serving (to preserve their texture).

In the same pan, reduce the heat, add the remaining tablespoon of oil and the chopped shallot. Sauté until translucent. Add the rice and toast it for 2 minutes until it becomes translucent at the edges. Add the chopped garlic, dried porcini mushrooms, and the remaining fresh mushrooms.

Pour in the white wine and stir until the alcohol evaporates. Then begin gradually adding the hot broth base – one ladle at a time.

Cook the risotto at a gentle simmer, stirring frequently. Add the next ladle of broth only once the rice has absorbed the previous one. This takes about 16–18 minutes. The rice should be cooked "al dente".

Remove the pan from the heat. This is a key step: stir in the cold butter and grated Parmesan. Shake the pan vigorously or stir quickly to create a creamy emulsion. Cover and let it rest for 2 minutes. 7## Divide the risotto among plates, arrange the reserved sautéed mushrooms on top, and sprinkle with fresh parsley.