Morel Risotto Recipes

Steps:

• Place the dried morels in a bowl and pour 2 cups boiling water over them. Set aside for 30 minutes. Scoop the morels from the water with a slotted spoon, reserving the liquid. You should have 2 cups; if not, add water to make 2 cups. Drain the morels and rinse once more. If some of the mushrooms are large, cut into 2 or 3 pieces. Pour the mushroom liquid through a coffee filter or paper towel, discarding the gritty solids. Set the mushrooms and the liquid aside separately.
• Meanwhile, remove and discard the stems of the porcini and rub any dirt off the caps with a damp paper towel. Dont rinse them! Slice thickly and set aside.
• In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock with the 2 cups of reserved mushroom liquid and bring to a simmer.
• In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Add the morels and porcini and saute for another 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of the chicken stock mixture to the rice plus the saffron, salt, and pepper. Stir and simmer over low heat until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock mixture, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry before adding more of the stock mixture. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 25 to 30 minutes total. When done, the risotto should be thick and creamy and not at all dry. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan cheese. Serve hot in bowls with extra cheese.

Steps:

• Combine chicken broth and water in a large stockpot. Heat over medium-high heat until boiling; reduce heat to low and keep warm.
• Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat in a large Dutch oven until butter melts. Add brown rice; cook and stir constantly until toasted, about 5 minutes. Stir in wild rice, 1/2 the morel mushrooms, carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, until onions are translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour in white wine; cook until evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Mix 1/2 the chicken broth mixture into the rice; stir to combine. Cover and cook over medium heat until thickened, about 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Pour in remaining chicken broth mixture, remaining morel mushrooms, and thyme. Cover and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring every 5 minutes, until wild rice is tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter and heavy cream. Cook until butter is melted, about 1 minute more. Season with salt and pepper. Top with Pecorino Romano cheese.

Steps:

• Place chicken stock in a small saucepan over medium heat; bring to a simmer.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until butter starts to bubble. Add asparagus and morel mushrooms; saute until tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate with any accumulated juices.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in the same saucepan. Add shallot; cook and stir until softened, about 1 minute. Stir in arborio rice and cook until it starts to toast, about 1 minute. Pour in wine and cook until evaporated. Stir in thyme.
• Pour 1/4 cup of the simmering stock over the rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until stock is absorbed. Repeat with remaining stock until rice is tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Stir in asparagus and mushrooms with their juices and continue until flavors combine, about 3 minutes more.
• Remove rice from the heat. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and parsley. Season with salt and black pepper. Garnish with balsamic vinegar and additional olive oil before serving.

Steps:

• Cook the asparagus in boiling, salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold running water. Cut diagonally into 1/4-inch slices and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and saute until soft, about 10 minutes. Season with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper and set aside.
• Bring the broth to a boil in a medium saucepan, reduce heat and keep at a low simmer. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of butter with the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and garlic and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the rice with a wooden spoon, turning to coat well. Cook, stirring constantly, for 4 minutes. Stir in the wine, raise the heat to medium and cook until the wine is absorbed, about 1 minute.
• Begin adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and adding more broth as it is absorbed by the rice. Adjust heat so rice and broth cook at a steady simmer. After about 15 minutes, the rice should be somewhat tender and some broth should be left.
• Cook for another few minutes, adding more broth as needed, until the rice is al dente. Stir in the asparagus, the mushrooms, the peas, the chives and 1 tablespoon of butter. Season with 2 teaspoons of salt and pepper. Divide among 6 shallow bowls and garnish with the chervil. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Combine the olive oil, wine, lemon rind, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the quail and marinate for 2 hours. Prepare the grill. Cook quail over hot coals until medium rare, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Set aside.
• Heat 1 teaspoon of the butter in a heavy-bottomed skillet or pot. Add the onion, season lightly with salt and pepper to taste, stir and cover. Cook for 3 minutes until soft. Place the broth in a separate saucepan and simmer.
• Add the rice to the onion and stir to combine. Ladle in 1/2 cup of the broth and stir. Increase the heat to medium high and, for the next 25 minutes, continue adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time and stirring constantly. After 15 minutes, add the white wine. After 5 more minutes, add the peas and mushrooms. Stir well. The rice should be tender but firm. If not, add more broth. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
• Stir in the parsley. Divide the rice among 4 warmed plates. Place the quail in the center and serve.

Steps:

• Place the mushrooms in a mixing bowl and add the 2 cups of hot water. Let stand 30 minutes or until softened.
• Remove and squeeze the mushrooms. Strain the soaking liquid through a double thickness of cheesecloth to eliminate sand. Pour the liquid into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook down until reduced to about 1 1/4 cups. Add the chicken or beef broth, and bring barely to a simmer. Keep the mixture at a bare simmer as you cook the rice.
• Cut the mushrooms in half and set aside.
• Put the pancetta in a small skillet and cook until rendered of fat. Drain the pieces and set aside.
• Melt half the butter and the oil in a large saucepan with a heavy bottom. Add the onion and cook over fairly low heat, stirring often, until the onion starts to brown. Add the pancetta and rice. Cook briefly until the rice is coated.
• Add 1 cup of the broth and cook, stirring, until liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes.
• Add 1/2 cup of broth and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Add the prosciutto and another 1/2 cup of broth. Cook, stirring, until liquid is absorbed, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth, half a cup at a time, for a total of approximately 25 minutes. After the rice has cooked for about half that time, add the mushrooms. There may be about half a cup of broth that has not been used. Save it for another use.
• Stir the remaining butter and cheese into the risotto and serve. Serve, if desired, with red Treviso or radicchio salad (see recipe).

Steps:

• Bring Homemade Chicken Stock to a simmer in a small saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.
• 2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots, onion, and thyme to pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add mushrooms; cook 1 minute.
• Add rice; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in vermouth; cook 30 seconds or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly.
• Stir in 1 cup stock; cook 4 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring frequently.
• Add remaining stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of stock is absorbed before adding the next (about 25 minutes total). Add cheese, cream, salt, and pepper; cook 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat; top with chives.

Steps:

• Scoop the dried morels up from their soaking liquid and squeeze them, letting them drain back into the bowl. Follow by straining the soaking liquid through several layers of cheesecloth and then rinse the morels under running water before slicing them.
• Prepare the fresh morels. Rinse the morels quickly under cold running water and dry them with paper towels. Slice the tops and stems. In a small skillet, soften the shallots in one tablespoon of the butter over moderate heat. Add all the mushrooms and the strained soaking liquid, cover and cook gently for five minutes. Meanwhile, bring the chicken stock to a slow simmer.
• Heat one tablespoon butter and the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet and add the rice. Cook, stirring, until the grains are coated with the butter. Add a cup of the hot stock and cook, stirring frequently, until the rice has absorbed the liquid. Add the mushrooms and season them with salt and pepper to taste, and add the white wine.
• When the liquid has evaporated, add the asparagus, reserving the tips in another one-half cup of the stock. Continue adding the stock, one-half cup at a time as the rice absorbs the liquid, stirring continuously. Add the asparagus tips after the rice has cooked for about 12 minutes, and continue adding the broth, one-half cup at a time, stirring frequently. Continue adding liquid and stirring until the rice is creamy and tender, but just slightly al dente. Correct seasoning, stir in the Parmesan cheese and the remaining butter and sprinkle with parsley.