Truffle seaweed risotto with leek and mushrooms
Risotto is the most common way of cooking rice in Italy. Originally from the north of the country, the dish features short-grain arborio rice cooked slowly in broth until a thick, creamy consistency is achieved. The broth can be derived from meat, fish or vegetables, depending on the other ingredients present in the dish. We’ve kept it simple with leeks, mushrooms and truffle seaweed, which brings a luxurious earthiness to the dish that would normally only be possible with real truffles. Save some fronds of truffle seaweed for an attractive garnish!
This recipe serves four.
Cooking time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
1.25 litres vegetable stock
1 large leek, trimmed, washed and finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
50g butter
400g arborio rice
250ml dry white wine
350g mushroom, cleaned and sliced
2 tsp chopped truffle seaweed
Directions:
1)
Heat 25g of the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. As soon as it’s foaming, add the leeks and garlic a sprinkle of salt, lower the heat and sweat gently, for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the sliced mushroom with a sprinkle of salt and the truffle seaweed and cook for a further 10 minutes.
2)
Meanwhile bring the stock to a low simmer in a pan; keep over a very low heat.
3)
Add the rice to the pan and stir well, then add the wine. Increase the heat a little and let bubble until the liquid has evaporated.
4)
Start adding the hot stock, 1 ladle at a time. Stir often, adding more hot stock as it is absorbed. After about 25 minutes, the rice should be cooked, with just a hint of bite to it, and all the stock should be used.
5)
When the risotto is cooked, turn off the heat, season with salt and pepper to taste, then add the rest of the butter. Cover the pan and leave for a couple of minutes, then stir the melted butter on the surface. Serve with grated parmesan or goats cheese and extra truffle seaweed on top.
