Wandering Forager’s Wild Mushroom Risotto

Put the stock pot into a pan with 800ml of water. Bring this to a simmer before leaving it on the lowest heat possible to keep it warm. We’ll add this into the risotto bit-by-bit later on.

On a medium-low heat gently fry the mushrooms with 1 tsp of olive oil and half your butter in a non-stick pan. Add the garlic 2 mins later, followed by the thyme leaves and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 2 more mins then set them aside on a plate.

In the same pan on a medium-low heat, add the onion and celery to 1 tbsp of olive oil and the other half of your butter. After 5 mins the ingredients should be soft (not browned off though!). Add the rice with a pinch of salt and pepper.

After a few mins you can add ½ cup of white wine if you have some. Bubble away the alcohol for about 30 seconds. If you don’t have any wine just skip straight to step 6.

Add 1/2 cup of your stock and the peas into the rice. While keeping on a low heat, stir it with long, massaging motions using a wooden spoon, until the stock has almost disappeared. Repeat this process until all the stock has been used (which should take around 20 mins).

Taste the rice (be careful it’s hot!). Tip: It should be soft yet with a slight firmness in the centre. If not, add 1/2 cup of water and cook it for a little longer. Gently mix in the cooked mushrooms and three quarters of the grated hard Italian cheese.