Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups rice
1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 oz. dry porcini mushrooms
about 6-7 cups vegetable broth
1 cup red wine like Merlot
1/2 cup freshly grated Italian Parmesan
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley

Directions:

Place the mushrooms in lukewarm water and let them soak for about 20
minutes or until soft.

When soft remove them and squeeze all the excess water out. The chop
them into smaller pieces or leave them bigger according to your taste
and set them aside.

Filter the mushroom water to remove any grains of sand and set it
aside.

In a large non stick pan cook the onions in 2 Tbsp. butter until
they're translucent being careful not to brown them. Add a little
water if they get too dry.

When the onions are ready add the rice, combine it well with the
onions and butter, and toast it for about 2-3 minutes at high heat.
Then add the mushrooms and mix in for a few seconds.

Add 1 cup of wine and mix well until it evaporates. Use a good full
bodied red wine like Cabernet.

Add the filtered water from the mushrooms and mix in well.

Add about 2 cups vegetable broth and reduce the heat to medium. Mix it
frequently.

Continue adding broth in the same quantity mixing frequently. Continue
doing so until the rice is nearly cooked. This will take practice
since every rice cooks differently.

When the rice is almost cooked, it should be 15-20 minutes according
to package direction, add 1 Tbsp of butter, the parsley and the
Parmesan. Remove from the stove, cover the pan with the lid and let it
stand for few minutes.

Serve the rice and accompanied it with extra Parmesan for the topping.
Serves 4 to 6.

Notes: This is one of many ways to make Risotto. It should be creamy,
not too dry and certainly not soupy. It may take a little practice to
get it right, but once you do it is well worth the effort.

That's it!

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Adriana