Try this Black truffle risotto recipe for a meal you won't forget anytime soon!
is on the menu today and this recipe is definitely a special occasion, splurge, type recipe. Some of the best black truffles you can get, come from either France, Italy, or Australia. From my experience, typically the truffles you find in America, in the northwest, aren't as strong in fragrance or taste
I know I personally don’t buy a lot of truffles when I'm cooking at home for my family, but if you aren't looking to break the bank, you can easily replace the truffles with an array of wild mushrooms. If you ever have a chance to go to Italy in the near future you we see black truffles on just about anything.
The secret or key to making black truffle risotto taste great is by cooking the rice in a flavorful mushroom broth or stock. The better your stock, the better the risotto or arborio rice. The rice grains will absorb the liquid as it cooks, so if you have a well seasoned stock then each grain of rice will be infused with great flavor.
The less ingredients you want to make the risotto with the more you can concentrate on maximizing the ingredients potential in this case mushrooms. This will give you end product the richest and deepest flavor possible. Here is the recipe I hope you enjoy it!
Black Truffle Risotto
Mushroom Stock
- 9 oz dried mushrooms ((3 oz each shiitake,morel, porcini))
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms
- 2 cloves garlic ((optional))
- 2 tops leeks ((optional))
- 10 cups water
- salt (to taste)
Risotto
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 1/4 cup onion (small diced)
- 2 portobello mushroom
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1/4 cup Olive oil
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 4-5 cups mushroom stock
- salt (and pepper)
Mushrooms
- 4 oz maitake mushrooms
- 4 oz mushroom medley
- 1/4 cup cream
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 1/2 oz parmesan cheese (finely grated)
- 3 tbsp chives (snipped)
- 1 black truffle ((perigord))
- 1 tsp truffle oil ((optional))
How to make mushroom stock
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Place all the ingredients in to a pot and fill with water. Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer. Cook for about an hour to an hour and half until the stock has reduced by half and the water taste like mushrooms. Strain out the mushrooms, season with salt and set aside and keep warm.
How to make risotto
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In a food processor add portobello mushrooms and pulse until the portobello or really small pieces but not quite mushy. In a small sauce pot add olive oil, shallots, portobello, and garlic. Sauté for two minutes and then add your rice.
Toast your rice for 2 to 3 minutes and then deglaze your rice with white wine. Cook the wine until there is hardly any wine left at all. Then ladle 8 oz your mushroom stock over the rice just enough to cover it.
Stir occasionally so the rice doesn't stick to the pan. I am a believer in not having to stand and stir the rice every second because you have the tendency to break the rice grains by over stirring. You stir enough so that there is liquid and that the rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.
Once the first round of stock has cooked (only should take a few minutes) and evaporated then repeat the first step and add another ladle of stock. You will probably do this 4 more times until your risotto gets close to the point of finishing (tender rice grains with a bit of al-dente bite to it). You want to add salt into the liquid and rice so that it is seasoned and not bland. The rice should take on a brown color and flavor of mushrooms.
Once the rice starts turning an opaque color with a little white (raw rice) in the middle your getting really close to your rice being done. Risotto should be al dente, with a little bite to it. Otherwise you will have an overworked mushy rice, which no one wants to eat.
In the restaurant business this is where you would pour the risotto out on to a baking sheet and spread thinly so the rice can cool completely and quickly. Then when you get an order for risotto you would heat the rice back up with garnishes and finish with whatever else you want to add to it. I do this because one, you can make it ahead of time and two it makes it easy to finish with other ingredients.
To finish
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Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and the mushrooms, and medley to a saute pan. Season with salt and cook for 7-8 minutes until tender. Then add the risotto to the pan. Add a touch of mushroom stock and cream. Bring to a bowl.
Cook for a minute and then add your butter and parmesan cheese. The rice should be nice a creamy now and you want to finish with salt, pepper, and chives. Spoon the risotto onto plates, finish with a little parmesan, fresh sliced truffles and olive oil. Serve and enjoy!
