How to make wild mushroom risotto – recipe | Felicity Cloake (2024)

Autumn can seem a very meaty time of year in the kitchen, all hearty stews and roast game, but it’s also mushroom season, when fields and markets are full of chanterelles and penny buns, puffballs and hen of the woods … so long as you know where to look and, more importantly, what to look for. This simple risotto, easily doubled, is a good way to make the most of even the most modest of harvests.

Prep 10 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 2

20g dried porcini
½ onion or 2 shallots
30g parmesan
100g fresh chanterelles (or other mushrooms)
1.1 litres good chicken or vegetable stock
25g butter, plus 2 tbsp extra to finish
200g risotto rice – I like carnaroli, but the more widely available arborio or more niche vialone nano will also do
120ml white wine
1 garlic clove
A couple of parsley sprigs, to finish

1 Chop and change

This dish is very versatile. I used chanterelles, but almost any fresh mushrooms will do (in fact, it will be lovely made with just dried porcini alone). If you don’t have stock, soak the porcini in the same amount of hot water instead. You can use dry sherry or vermouth rather than wine. And for a vegan version, replace the butter with olive oil and the cheese with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast.

How to make wild mushroom risotto – recipe | Felicity Cloake (1)

2 Prepare the base

Boil 150ml water and use this to soak the dried mushrooms for at least five minutes. Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the onion or shallots, grate the parmesan and trim and gently brush any dirt off the fresh mushrooms with a damp cloth. If you have large mushrooms, cut them into bite-sized pieces.

3 Get the stock ready

Bring the stock to a simmer, strain in the mushroom soaking water, and set aside the soaked mushrooms. Taste the stock: you’ll be reducing it further, so it shouldn’t be too salty to begin with – dilute with a little more water, if necessary, then leave on a low heat while you get on with the risotto.

How to make wild mushroom risotto – recipe | Felicity Cloake (2)

4 Start the risotto

Melt the butter in a wide saucepan over a medium-low heat, and gently fry the chopped onion until soft – don’t let it colour. Tip in the rice and cook, stirring, until most of the grains are coated and translucent – this will take a few minutes.

How to make wild mushroom risotto – recipe | Felicity Cloake (3)

5 Add stock and start stirring…

Turn up the heat under the pan slightly and, once it’s warmed back up, pour in the wine; it should sizzle as it hits the pan. Cook, stirring, until most of the liquid has evaporated, then start adding the stock one ladleful at a time, continuing to stir as you do so, and not adding the next ladle of stock until the pan is almost dry.

How to make wild mushroom risotto – recipe | Felicity Cloake (4)

6 Repeat and stir some more

After about 10 minutes, stir in the soaked dried mushrooms. Keep adding stock and stirring until the rice is done to your liking – this should take another eight to 12 minutes, though exactly how long will depend on your tastes. In theory, the rice should still be firm, but not chalky in the middle; if you prefer it softer, however, that’s your prerogative.

How to make wild mushroom risotto – recipe | Felicity Cloake (5)

7 Adjust the consistency

Once you’re happy with the texture of the rice, correct the consistency of the mixture; risotto shouldn’t sit on the plate like a solid lump, but flow across it like a wave, so add a little more stock, if need be, stirring until the rice is loose and creamy. Stir in most of the grated parmesan and a tablespoon of the extra butter, then cover the pan and leave to sit off the heat for five minutes.

How to make wild mushroom risotto – recipe | Felicity Cloake (6)

8 Fry the fresh mushrooms

While the risotto is resting, finely chop or crush the garlic and melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the garlic for 30 seconds or so, before turning up the heat and adding the fresh mushrooms. Saute for a few minutes until they’re just starting to brown around the edges, then take off the heat.

9 A final flourish

Give the risotto a good stir and season to taste (it probably won’t need any more salt, because the parmesan has a fair bit already). Divide between plates or shallow bowls and top with the fried mushroom mixture. Roughly chop the parsley and sprinkle over the top, then finish with the remaining cheese and eat immediately.

How to make wild mushroom risotto – recipe | Felicity Cloake (2024)

FAQs

How do you make mushroom risotto in breath of the wild? ›

Mushroom Risotto can be made by Cooking any Mushroom, Hylian Rice, Goat Butter, and Rock Salt together in a Cooking Pot. The default version of Mushroom Risotto can only be made either by using Hylian Shrooms, which offer no status effects, or by using multiple Mushrooms with differing effects.

Is it better to make risotto with butter or olive oil? ›

According to Salvatore, it all depends on the ingredients. The chef prefers oil over butter (and oil works particularly well with seafood risottos), but butter is better for vegetable-based dishes like Rampoldi's black truffle with mushroom or mixed vegetable and ginger risotto.

What is the perfect consistency for risotto? ›

Leave it to the Italians to make risotto poetic. What that means is the dish should have the consistency of thick porridge. If you run your spatula through the risotto, the risotto should flow slowly back to fill in the space.

When to add butter to risotto? ›

Remove the pan from the heat, add 1 knob of butter and the Parmesan, then stir well. Place a lid on the pan and allow to sit for 2 minutes – this is the most important part of making the perfect risotto, as this is when it becomes outrageously creamy and oozy like it should be.

What is the recipe for mushroom skewer in Breath of the Wild? ›

Breath of the Wild. Mushroom Skewers are meals that can be made by Cooking any Mushrooms in a Cooking Pot. In order to cook the regular version of this dish, Link must use either only Hylian Shrooms or multiple, different Mushrooms with varying effects.

What is the secret to a good risotto? ›

Always use warm stock.

Warming the broth before adding it to the warm rice coaxes more starch out of each grain of rice and helps prevent it from overcooking. Cool broth takes longer to warm up in the risotto pan and may shock the grain into holding onto its starches while the rice itself continues to cook.

What thickens risotto? ›

Rice contains two molecules that make up its starch content, amylose, and amylopectin. Generally speaking, rices with a higher proportion of amylopectin to amylose will tend to soften more completely and thicken their sauce more strongly.

How do you keep risotto from getting mushy? ›

If your risotto goes “gluggy” before it is al dente: You aren't toasting the rice in oil to start. You are cooking it in too narrow of a pan. The risotto should be no more than half an inch deep in the skillet while you're cooking it so it has enough contact with the hot skillet when stirred.

What is the secret ingredient in risotto? ›

Use Salted Water Instead of Broth in Risotto

It's an ingenious tip on many levels.

What can I add to risotto to make it taste better? ›

Sautéed shallots, garlic, shiitake mushrooms, and thyme are used to build a robust and flavorful foundation on which arborio rice and hot stock are melded. With each stir of the spoon, the starches thicken, and the earthy essence of the mushrooms builds depth of flavor.

How do you keep risotto creamy? ›

Yes, the foundational creaminess of well-made risotto should come from the starches that the grains release slowly over the cooking process—but a bit of actual cream doesn't hurt, either. Make sure to season the risotto with salt after you've added the whipped cream.

How do you make Risotto in Zelda? ›

Breath of the Wild

Vegetable Risotto is made by Cooking Hylian Rice, Goat Butter, Rock Salt, and either a Fortified Pumpkin or any Carrot together in a Cooking Pot. Their default version is made by using ingredients with contradicting status effects. Link can eat them to heal some of his Hearts to his Life Gauge.

How to make cream of mushroom soup in Zelda Breath of the Wild? ›

Cream of Mushroom Soups are made by Cooking any Mushroom, Fresh Milk, Rock Salt, and any vegetable, herb, or flower in a Cooking Pot. Regular Cream of Mushroom Soup is made by either using ingredients without any effects or using two ingredients with contradictory effects.

How to make rice balls in BotW? ›

Breath of the Wild. Mushroom Rice Balls can be made by Cooking any Mushroom together with Hylian Rice. The regular version can be made either by using Hylian Shrooms, which have no status effects, or by using multiple Mushrooms with differing effects. When eaten, they'll restore some Hearts to Link's Life Gauge.

Is there a recipe log in Breath of the Wild? ›

Cooking in Breath of the Wild is extensive, but there's no in-game system to track recipes. You can find Breath of the Wild (BOTW) recipes throughout Hyrule on banners and learn them from various NPCs.

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