Mushroom and Black Truffle Risotto

Friends of ours threw caution to the wind this summer and went on a fantastic excursion across Spain. Six weeks was spent eating and drinking and travelling the beautiful country. While I certainly wish I could have tagged along, I was happy enough that they brought me back some truffles.

I've eaten black truffles before but I had never cooked with them. The truffles were preserved and I had no idea what to do with them. Enter Arborio rice. Black truffles and Arborio rice sounded like a perfect combination if there ever was one. What better way to use these gorgeous truffles than in a rich, creamy, dreamy risotto. If you've never made a risotto I really encourage you to try. For some reason there's a notion that risottos are difficult to make but nothing could be further from the truth. And if it's decadence you're looking for, it doesn't get much more fabulous than truffles and risotto.

Stay tuned for what I did with the leftovers....

RECIPE courtesy of Italissima:
1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup hot water
5 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 TBSP butter
2 TBSP olive oil
1 shallot, finely diced
2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 preserved black truffle, chopped finely (shave a few pieces with a mandolin or grater for garnish)
1 1/2 cups parmigiano reggiano, finely grated
salt and pepper, to taste

Soak mushrooms in hot water for 30 minutes. Drain and chop the mushrooms reserving one cup of the liquid. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve or cheesecloth. In a saucepan, bring chicken stock to a simmer. In another saucepan, melt the butter with the olive oil and saute shallots over low-med heat for about 10 minutes. Add rice to the shallots and stir, coating all of the grains with the oil, for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, truffles,wine and mushroom liquid to the rice and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Slowly add stock to the mixture one cup at a time until each cup is absorbed, stirring constantly until rice is is tender but still slightly firm in the center and the mixture is creamy, about 18 minutes. Add the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste and stir well. Garnish with shaved truffles and serve immediately.

Serves 6