Ingredients

50g

dried porcini mushrooms

1 tbsp

olive oil

small white onion, finely chopped

garlic clove, finely chopped

150g

cold butter, diced

300g

risotto rice

100ml

white wine or veggie stock

courgettes, cubed up

100g

freshly grated Parmesan

20g

chopped curly leaf or flat leaf parsley

1 tsp

urfa chilli flakes

1 tsp

red chilli flakes

1 tsp

garlic powder

A good pinch

sea salt and cracked black pepper

"Can you really beat a porcini risotto? We just can't get enough of them along with the glut of courgettes we have at the moment. What's more, any leftovers from this can be allowed to set, then you can roll portions of the risotto into small balls, coat them in panko breadcrumbs and fry to make arancini."

Thanks to Nikibakes_uk for the recipe.

Method

Place the mushrooms in a bowl and pour over 500ml hot water to cover them. Leave to soak for 15 minutes to re-hydrate them. To drain, lift out the mushrooms with a slotted spoon (the mushrooms will have grit in them so this gets left behind) and chop them roughly. Strain the mushroom water through a fine sieve or coffee filter into a saucepan and keep hot.
Heat the oil in a pan and cook the onion, courgettes and garlic until soft and transparent. Add in all your spices at this stage.
Next, add in one teaspoon of the butter then add the rice and toast it, stirring, for three minutes.
Pour in the wine or veggie stock and heat until the liquid disappears, de-glazing the pan, then add the chopped porcini.
Make sure the mushroom liquor is really hot before you start to add it to the rice. If it tastes too strong you can let it cool down with a splash of water. Add the liquid a spoonful at a time, waiting for it to disappear before adding the next lot. The risotto should take around 17 to 20 minutes to cook.
The rice will lose its whiteness but should retain a slight bite when eaten.
To finish the risotto, remove it from the heat and stir in the rest of the butter along with the Parmesan and parsley, mixing with a wooden spoon so that it forms a creamy risotto. Serve immediately and scatter over more spices, mmmm!