Chestnut porcini risotto
The flavor of autumn in Tuscany in a plate: chestnut porcini risotto
This creamy and cozy chestnut porcini risotto is the quintessential autumn dish. Packed with creamy chestnuts and flavorful porcini mushroom it’s the cuddle-in-a-bowl you want when temperatures decrease.
A simple recipe that will certainly impress your guests. I actually make this risotto very often, even when it’s not that cold! I love the creaminess that the chestnuts give the risotto once they’re cooked.
Fresh, frozen or dried? how to select the ingredients
If they’re in season, fresh ingredients are always best. However what I like to do is buy in bulk chestnuts, shell and freeze them. This way I can use chestnuts whenever I want!
Porcini too can bee frozen. If you are able to find fresh porcini, simply slice them and freeze in a ziplock bag. Usually it’s easier to find them dried.
What If I cannot find porcini? You can use oyster mushrooms or button mushrooms. The taste will be slightly different, but still incredibly good. It’s not easy to find good porcini mushrooms, so I often end up using other types when I want to make this recipe.
How to cook chestnut porcini risotto to perfection
Let’s see the key steps to cook this risotto to perfection.
Stock temperature: When cooking risotto the key is always the stock. It should be hot, if you add cold stock to the hot rice, it will halt the cooking process. Whereas if you use hot stock, the rice will continue to cook slowly and steadily.
Adding the stock a little at a time: rice is always different, depending on when it’s been harvested, the quality, the variety. So the amount of stock needed can change significantly. An older rice is drier, so it will be absorbing more water when cooking. When rice is younger, you’ll need less. The same goes for different varieties. If you use arborio instead of carnaroli, you will certainly need a different amount of liquid. Adding the stock a ladle at time only when the previous one has been absorbed, allows you to add the perfect quality. The result will be a perfectly creamy risotto.
Toasting the rice: adding the rice in the hot oil and toasting it for a minute or so, makes a great difference in how the risotto will cook. Toasting the rice is the key to making a creamy risotto that’s not sticky and that retains the grains structure.
Mixing the butter at the end: the process called “mantecatura” in Italian is another key steps when preparing any risotto. When the rice is cooked, you need to turn off the stove. Add the butter and mix vigorously. This helps with the look and texture of the risotto. Once you add the butter and mix, the fat and the starches blend and create the perfect creaminess.
Though you’ll find recipes that call for a lot of butter for this stage of the preparation, this specific recipe won’t need as much. The chestnuts will do the job, without the need of extra fat.
Chestnuts and porcini risotto
Ingredients
- 200 gr chestnuts shelled
- 200 gr of fresh or frozen porcini or 40gr dried
- 1 lt stock Check the quantity indicated on the rice package
- 60 ml white wine
- 1 medium onion
- 360 gr risotto rice
- 20 gr butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- parmigiano to taste
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients
- Finely cut the onion, chop the chestnuts and mushrooms. If you use dried porcini mushrooms, soak them overnight and do not throw away the water. Pre-heat the stock.
Prepare the risotto
- Heat a pot on medium heat, add the oil and the onion and sauté for a couple of minutes.
- Add the porcini and chestnuts and cook for a minute then add the rice.
- Toast the rice for a minute then add the wine and let it evaporate.
- Add a ladle of stock and cook on medium low, add more stock a ladle at a time util the rice is cooked.
- When the rice is cooked add the butter, mix vigorously and then cover with a lid for a couple of minutes.
- Serve with some parmigiano or grana on top and a sprinkle of freshly grated black pepper.
