Contrary to popular belief, risotto is really easy to make.  While it’s on the stove, you do need to give it your full attention, but as long as you are patient and have the time, you can make a risotto better than any restaurant.  This is one of our favourite flavour combinations.

This recipe requires 2 bulbs of garlic.  although it seems like too much, once roasted, the garlic loses its intensity, and takes on a sweet, almost nutty flavour.

ingredients

makes enough for 4

3 celery sticks, sliced finely

1 brown onion, diced

2 cups arborio rice

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1/2 cup dry white wine

75g butter

tablespoon olive oil

500g button mushrooms, sliced

2 bulbs garlic

2 handfuls fresh thyme, leaves stripped

1 cup grated parmesan

2 teaspoons truffle oil

1/2 cup pouring cream

salt & pepper to taste

method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsuis and place the 2 garlic bulbs on a metal tray in the oven.  Roast for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile melt 25g butter in a frypan on high heat.  Once melted, throw in the mushrooms and half the thyme. Toss until the mushrooms are brown and crisp on the outside.  Set this aside.

Bring the stock to boil in a saucepan, and reduce to simmer. Meanwhile, melt 50g butter in a large pot and cook the celery and onion on a medium heat until the celery loses its colour.  Add rice and olive oil to the pot of onion and celery, and cook until the rice turns almost transparent (do not brown).

This is the part where you cannot leave the stove. Pour the white wine into the pot of rice and stir until almost all the liquid has evaporated.  Spoon 1 to 2 ladles of stock into the rice and stir.  You may have to adjust the heat – the liquid should not be evaporating or sizzling immediately, but you should be able to work with it for about 1 – 2 minutes before the rice looks dry and thirsty again.  Once you get to this point, add another ladle or so and continue stirring.  Continue this process until the stock is used up, or the rice becomes quite creamy and is almost cooked through – the rice should have a bit of a bite in the centre at this stage. (You might find that there is a little stock left over which is fine.  or you might need a bit more – just add warm water.) Reduce the heat.

Remove the garlic from its skin and squeeze the flesh out of each clove, into the risotto.  Add the cream, half the parmesan, the mushrooms, the truffle oil and the remaining thyme.  Stir until the cheese has melted.  The risotto will be cooked through by now. Serve with the remaining parmesan ontop.