Chef Theo Randall's Mushroom Risotto recipe

Ingredients

250g of Carnoroli risotto rice
1 tblsp of chopped onion
1 tblsp of chopped celery
500g chopped chestnut or Portobello mushrooms.
2 tblsp of olive oil
1 litre of vegetable stock
1 tblsp of chopped flat leaf parsley
10 g of dried Porcini mushrooms (soaked and drained)
1 clove of garlic finely chopped
1/2 tsp of chopped thyme

In a hot large frying add 1 tblsp of olive oil and the mushrooms. A lot of water will come out of the mushrooms so empty the mushrooms of the liquid into a colander and add 1 tblsp of olive oil sliced garlic and the chopped thyme to the frying pan you cooked the mushrooms in. Return the cooked mushrooms to the pan immediately and add the soaked chopped porcini mushrooms and their liquid and cook until the mushrooms have become syrupy and look juicy but not dry. Season and keep to one side.

In a straight sided saucepan add 1 tblsp of olive oil and cook the onions and celery until they are soft. Add the rice and cook so the rice has absorbed the olive oil and is frying but not getting any colour.

Start adding the stock one ladle at a time leaving enough of a gap so the stock get absorbed by the rice. Make sure you use a wooden spoon and stir all the time as this will release the starch in the rice that will make the risotto really creamy. After 12 mins add the cooked mushrooms and cook for another 3 minutes so the mushrooms get absorbed into the rice. Add another ladle of stock. Then add the parsley and another tbsp of olive oil. Take 1/2 a clove of garlic and crush it with some salt to a paste and add to the risotto to give the risotto a lovely richer flavour. Stir continuously so the liquid is reduced but is wet enough so that when you shake the pan you get waves. Check the seasoning. And serve in hot bowls.