Truffle Risotto Lidia Bastianich Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the water in a pot almost to boil; cover and keep it very hot on the stove, near the risotto pan.
• Add olive oil, onion, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in the saucepan and set over medium heat.
• Stir well as the onion starts to heat and soften; stir frequently and cook until it is wilted and just starting to color, 8 minutes or so.
• Pour in the rice all at once, increase the heat, and stir the rice and onions continuously, toasting the grains (but not browning them), until they make a clicking sound as you turn them in the pan, 2 minutes or more.
• Pour in the wine, and keep stirring for another couple of minutes, all around the pan, until the moisture has evaporated and the rice is dry.
• Immediately ladle in 2 cups of the almost simmering water, enough to cover the rice, and decrease the heat.
• Cook, stirring steadily, until the water is almost totally absorbed, 4-6 minutes.
• Quickly ladle in more water to cover the rice, add another 1/2 teaspoon salt, and keep stirring, as the rice swells and releases its starches and a thick creamy suspension starts to form.
• Again, when the water is almost completely absorbed--and you can see the bottom of the saucepan as you stir--ladle in another cup or so of water.
• Remember how much water you add; after incorporating 6 cups (or a bit more) over a period of 15-19 minutes, taste the rice for texture and seasoning--add more salt and/or incorporate more hot water if needed.
• When the risotto is perfectly cooked--at once al dente and creamy--turn off the heat.
• Without delay, drop the butter pieces into the saucepan and stir vigorously to mount--or amalgamate--the risotto with butter.
• Stir in the 1/2 cup cheese.
• For each serving, spoon a mound of risotto into a warm pasta bowl, and immediately shave paper-thin flakes of truffle over the top.
• Serve right away, as the heat releases the aroma of truffle into the air, and dish up the next portion.

Steps:

• 1. Bring the stock to a bare simmer in a medium saucepan. Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium Dutch oven or large straight-sided skillet, and sauté the onion and shallots until golden. Add the mushrooms, and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove mushrooms and set aside. To the same pan, add the remaining olive oil and the rice. Cook and stir to coat the rice with oil, until toasted but not colored, about 3 minutes. Pour in the wine, and cook until evaporated, about 2 minutes. 2. Add ½ cup of the hot stock and the salt. (This step varies from Lidia's prep with me, where she salted each ingredient separately.) Cook, stirring constantly, until all the liquid has been absorbed. Continue to add hot stock in small batches (just enough to moisten the rice completely), stirring constantly to help absorb the liquid, until the rice mixture is creamy and al dente. With the last addition of the stock, return the mushrooms to the pot, and stir and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the risotto from the heat, beat in the butter and then the cheese, season with pepper to taste, and serve immediately. 3. Porcini is the ideal mushroom for this recipe, but any mushroom or mixture of mushrooms will yield a delicious risotto.