'Shrooms - Foraged Cep Risotto

I love a good 'shroom, I am just very wary of picking anything that I can't identify.

Luckily one of the tastiest 'shrooms is one of the easiest to be sure of, the Cep, (thank you Wiki once again : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boletus_edulis).

Looks like Mushroom Risotto for dinner tonight - all except for Thea who is convinced that I am going to poison her so just plain pizza for her.

Foraged Cep Risotto


1 cup of arborio rice per person (amounts below are for 2 people)
1 large cep cleaned and sliced thinly
1 large onion thinly sliced
1 small glass of white wine
1.5 litres of boiling chicken stock
salt and pepper to season
1 tablespoon of olive oil or butter


Bring the stock to the boil in a separate pan, meantime in a large shallow pan fry the onion gently in the olive oil (or butter if you prefer).

When the onion is translucent, add the rice and fry gently until every grain has a coating of oil and has started to become opaque, then add the glass of white wine and bring to the boil, when this has reduced start adding the stock a ladle full at a time.

Stir through the rice until it has been absorbed then add another ladle, after about 10 minutes and when the rice liquor is thick and creamy with the starch from the rice, add the sliced cep, leave to cook for a further 20 minutes stirring pretty much constantly to prevent the rice sticking to the base of the pan, until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

Season and serve.

You can grate over a bit of parmesan to finish - but I don't have any and I don't like it anyway so I don't.

Best not to eat these though, beautiful though they are....

thank you Wiki again : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_muscaria

Here we go, dinner cooked on the pot belly stove in the living room, making the most of only lighting one fire that can provide heat and a stove.

Garden Pea Risotto recipe

I'm on a roll now.  With things finally ready to eat from the garden, I am continuing my domestic goddess impersonation with another fresh from the garden recipe today.

Garden Pea Risotto

2 tablespoons olive oil
risotto rice (1 cupped handful per person)
1 crushed garlic clove
1 finely chopped onion
fresh peas (or frozen) - same volume of peas as rice
1 small glass / 150 ml white wine
2 litres of veg or chicken stock - you may require less depending on how many people / how much rice you are using


For the best flavour, if you can; start the risotto cooking then nip out to pick your peas for the ulitmate in fresh food, if not, pick peas then leave in a bowl in the freezer, start the risotto then use the peas when required by the recipe, but don't leave them in there longer than half an hour.

Fry a finely chopped onion and a crushed garlic clove in 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

To the oil add a cupped handful of risotto rice per person.  For risotto you do need risotto rice, otherwise you don't get that creamy texture.  If you use normal rice you get a very good rice side dish though, so it is a win win situation!

Fry the rice gently until it is transparent, then add a small glass of white wine and let boil for a couple of minutes to eradicate the alcohol.

Turn down the heat, and start ladling in the stock, a spoonful at a time; as each spoonful is absorbed add another.  You may not need all the stock depending on how much rice you are using, for 2 people a litre should be enough for the 2 cups of rice, and 1.5 litres for three people, and 2 litres for 4 people and 4 cups of rice.

When the rice has been cooking for about 15 minutes, add the peas, and cook for a further 5 minutes.

The risotto rice should be creamy and soft on the outside but a little firm on the inside, and there should be enough liquid to coat each grain and leave a smear on the plate without the rice swimming in stock and needing a bowl to hold it all together.

At this point you can stir in some butter for extra creaminess, or some grated cheese.  I like mine as is with a couple of sprigs of mint on top.