Rice with boletus, an irresistible autumn recipe

Rice with boletus (“risotto ai funghi porcini” in Italian) is an absolute star recipe in autumn, since boletus edulis are probably the most appreciated mushrooms, thanks to their flavor, texture and aroma. They are very versatile and are usually consumed in soups, pastas, risottos or as a garnish or side-dish for meat.

About the ingredients for this rice with boletus:

1. Carnaroli rice is ideal for preparing risottos, thanks to the fact that this type of short grain absorbs a large amount of flavor, and its starch content gives extra creaminess to the final result. Other valid types of rice for this recipe are Arborio, Santa Andrea, Baldo, etc.
2. The quantity of mushrooms is indicative and simply depends on availability and preferences. About 100 gr. of fresh boletus or 30 to 50 grams of dehydrated mushrooms are enough for one person.
3. Parmigiano Reggiano cheese can be replaced with Grana Padano, or similar.
4. The usual portion of rice per person is about 80 gr, and for preparing risotto, 3 to 4 times that amount of liquid will be needed. It is always preferable to prepare excess broth, since if there is any leftover, it can be used for another recipe, or even frozen.

The recipe for rice with boletus or risotto ai funghi porcini:

Start by preparing the vegetable broth, for which it will be enough to boil vegetables (normally an onion, a carrot, a stalk of celery and bay leaf) for at least 20 minutes.

Then clean the mushrooms, trying to remove all traces of soil.

Cut the boletus into thin vertical slices, so that each one maintains the typical shape of the mushroom. When the boletus are very large, sometimes the stem is finely chopped to sauté it with the rice, and only the cap is cut into slices. Any of these variants is acceptable and does not change the final result too much.

Heat a little butter and/or extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan, and add a minced clove of garlic. Sauté briefly over moderate heat, taking care not to burn, and add the boletus. Continue cooking over high heat for about 8-10 minutes. When they have acquired a pleasant golden color, season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Then add a little more butter and/or extra virgin olive oil to the pan, and sauté the finely chopped onion (or shallot) until it’s tender. Then add the rice and sauté it for no more than two minutes, until the grain has become almost translucent. If we are going to use a glass of wine, this is the time to do it, cooking over high heat for a few minutes until the alcohol evaporates. Then cover with broth, ensuring that it slightly covers the ingredients. Salt lightly and continue cooking, stirring sporadically and gradually adding more broth, to keep the quantity constant. About 5 minutes before the rice is ready, add the reserved mushrooms to the pan.

The Carnaroli rice will need approximately 15 minutes of cooking, counted from the moment you start adding the broth (or from when we add the wine, if we have done so). When it is tender, adjust the salt and proceed to the last step, called “mantecatura” in Italian: remove the pan from the heat and add the grated cheese and butter, and stir until combined. If the rice is still a bit dry, you can help yourself by adding a little more broth. This process gives the creaminess to the risotto, therefore the name of “mantecare”.

Serve with a little chopped parsley on top.

Tips and tricks:

1. A trick to make the vegetable broth have even more flavor, and thus enhance the result of the risotto even more, is to add 1 or 2 dried boletus or porcini mushrooms when starting to boil.
2. Remember that the broth must be hot when preparing the risotto, otherwise it would slow down the cooking of the rice.
3. To clean mushrooms, scrape the end of the stem with a knife and clean the rest with a damp cloth. If necessary, it is possible to clean it briefly under water, but try to dry it immediately and proceed to cooking it without much delay, since the mushrooms act as true “sponges”.
4. It is preferable to salt the mushrooms after sautéing them, since doing so at the beginning of cooking would cause them to expel a lot of liquid, which would cause them to be boiled instead of sautéed.
5. To achieve a perfect “mantecatura”, it is essential that the cheese and butter are very cold. We should take them out of the refrigerator only when using them.
6. Although it is not the “traditional” solution, those who prefer a somewhat lighter recipe can do without the butter, using only cheese and possibly a little broth for the “mantecatura”.