Felt like having risotto. Got sliced mushrooms as well as dried porcini. Then I just bought a bulk of fennel and vegetables stock. It has been ages that I had not had risotto due to the ingredients to make risotto increased triple. Especially the box stock. Today, the box of stock is cheap, I got 6 boxes.

Google: “Risotto is a Italian rice dish cooked with broth until it reaches a creamy consistency. The broth can be derived from meat, fish, or vegetables. Many types of risotto contain butter, onion, white wine, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. It is one of the most common ways of cooking rice in Italy.”

“Fennel is a flowering plant species in the carrot family. It is a hardy, perennial herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean but has become widely naturalized in many parts of the world, especially on dry soils near the sea-coast and on riverbanks. Fennel has a very mild anise or licorice flavour that can be enhanced or sweetened depending on how it is cooked (or not cooked). When diced and sauteed with onions as one of the first steps when making a soup or stew, fennel becomes very sweet.”

“Porcini mushrooms are true wild mushrooms—they’re not farmed or cultivated but they are edible mushrooms (also known as boletus edulis). Foragers find them in wet forests where pine, hemlock and oak trees grow. The porcini mushroom is meaty and the taste is intense: rich and woodsy with subtle nutty undertones. These mushrooms are delicate in flavour but vigorous enough in body to be used in brown sauces, and will stand up to strong flavours like grilled steak.”

Managed to finished off my leftover arborio rice. I will get more and also the dried porcini mushrooms before the price increased. Anyway, I am glad it turns out creamy, flavourful, comforting and delicious. Let’s cook with love as though it’s a luxury meal!!!!

Ingredients

1 large fennel, based trimmed, reserved fonds
1 Tbs butter plus extra
1 Tbs garlic minced
1 onion, chopped finely
300 g arborio rice
85 ml white wine
1 L vegetables stock
250 ml water
2 bay leaves
leftover chicken stuffing (OPT)
100 g sliced mushrooms
1 bunch thyme
Parmesan Pecorino
oil

Method

Place stock, bay leaves, thyme and water in a pot on high heat. Bring to boil. Stir to break up thyme. Now add in porcini mushrooms, bring to simmer and turn to medium heat, cover with lid. Do watch that it doesn’t bubble out.

Heat 1 Tbs butter and a bit of oil in saucepan cook chicken stuffing, onion, garlic and fennel until soft but coloured about 3 minutes. Now add in rice, remove porcini from stock and add in with sliced mushrooms, cook stirring for 4 minutes until glossy and coated. Add in wine and stir until absorbed.

Add 1 ladle of stock at a time, stirring until absorbed between each addition until rice is al dente about 25-30 minutes. To finish stir in about 25 g of butter, Parmesan Pecorino and season with pepper and a bit of salt if necessary. Parmesan Pecorino is quite salty. Switch off heat, cover for 2 minutes. Meantime warm bowls in microwave. Then spoon risotto onto bowls and sprinkles chili flakes and some fronds over the top. Enjoy with a glass of white wine.

Note: You can toss in thyme from the stock instead of fronds. Sprinkle chili flakes or more cheese. You can use portobello instead of porcini. You can add any vegetables if you don’t like fennel.

https://helenscchin.com/2023/06/22/fennel-mushroom-risotto/

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