Risotto with mountain cheese, porcini mushrooms and chorizo

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 350 g risotto rice
• 50 g dried porcini mushrooms
• 100g chorizo
• 1 liter vegetable broth
• 1 small onion(s)
• 100 g mountain cheese
• 100 g butter
• 150 ml white wine
• 200 ml liquid (mushroom soaking water)
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 20 minutes

Roughly chop the dried mushrooms and soak them in water for about 30 minutes. The mushrooms should be well covered with water to begin with. Then gently squeeze the water out of the mushrooms and collect the water. If there is less than 200 ml, it’s okay. Cut the chorizo ​​into not-too-thick slices, then quarter them and fry them briefly in a dry pan. This will release a lot of fat and the sausage will become slightly crispy. Be careful here, as the sausage will dry out quickly if left in the pan too long. It should be firm to the bite and slightly crispy. Drain the sausage on kitchen paper and set aside. I prefer the mild version of the sausage, as it integrates the flavor better and is not too intense. Prepare the broth and simmer over low heat. Peel the onion and finely dice it. Finely chop the cheese, if it isn’t grated. Melt about half of the butter in a large saucepan and sauté the finely diced onion over low heat. The onion should just become translucent. Add the squeezed mushrooms, stir, and sauté briefly. There should still be plenty of butter in the pan; if not, feel free to add a little more. Now slowly add the rice to the pan and stir until all the rice grains are coated with the butter. Increase the heat slightly and deglaze with the white wine. As soon as the wine has evaporated, gradually add the hot stock to the rice using a ladle. Only add the next ladleful when the stock has almost completely evaporated. Increase the heat so that the stock is still simmering gently around the rice. Every now and then, add a little of the liquid from soaking the mushrooms. The whole process takes about 15-18 minutes. During this time, the risotto must be stirred constantly. A wooden spatula is much better for this than a wooden spoon, as it grips the edges better. Towards the end of the cooking time, add only a small amount of broth to the risotto to prevent the consistency from becoming too runny. Now reduce the heat to low and let the risotto rest for a moment. Stir in the remaining half of the butter and add the cheese and sausage. Stir well and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Perfect as a main course with a salad or as a side dish to a delicious corn-fed chicken.