Italian risotto

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 1 cup(s) rice (risotto rice) or short grain rice – never long grain rice
• 1 small onion(s)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 cube of stock (meat, chicken or vegetable stock)
• 1 handful of Parmesan, grated, if possible real Grana, Parmigiano, but can also be Emmental
• 250 ml white wine
• 1 handful of porcini mushrooms, dried
• 3 tbsp whipped cream

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour 15 minutes

Heat butter and a little olive oil in a pan, add finely chopped onions and sauté until translucent. Sprinkle in the rice and stir until it becomes slightly translucent (it’s important to stir constantly so that nothing browns – neither the butter, nor the onions, nor the rice – and always watch the temperature – hot, but not too hot!). Pour in the white wine and let it reduce slightly. Now add the meat broth in at least three batches, stirring continuously. Before the rice starts to dry out again, add another portion of broth until the rice has the right firmness and consistency. It’s important to keep stirring so the rice cooks evenly. Finally, stir a knob of butter and a handful of Parmesan cheese into the still-hot risotto. If the risotto is too dry, add a little more broth. Season with salt and pepper if necessary. The risotto tastes best when it’s a little mushy (not too soft, not too hard, not too runny, and not too dry). According to the Italian cookbook, the original Risotto alla Milanese only uses saffron, but I prefer the version with porcini mushrooms. Soak the dried porcini mushrooms in cold water for 15 minutes and stir them into the risotto while adding the broth, along with the soaking water. If you have fresh porcini mushrooms, briefly roast them in a pan with butter, season with salt, pepper, and a little parsley, and finally stir them into the risotto. Any leftover risotto can also be made into an excellent soup. Stir the leftovers into a good broth and finish with a dash of whipped cream.