Porcini Risotto

This is the risotto recipe I learned to make risotto with, and it's still my favorite.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 6  cups homemade chicken broth or 6  cups canned broth, low salt variety
• 2  tablespoons butter
• 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 2  tablespoons  finely chopped onions
• 2  cups arborio rice
• 1  ounce  dried porcini mushroom, soaked in
• 2  cups  luke-warm water, for 30 minutes,drained,squeezed out,then chopped
•  fresh ground black pepper
•  kosher salt
• 1  cup  fresh grated parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Bring the broth to a simmer on the burner next to where you are cooking the risotto.
2. Put a ladle next to the pot where you can reach it.
3. In a deep, heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven on medium high heat, melt 1 tbl butter with the olive oil.
4. Add the onion and cook until it becomes translucent, not brown, then add the rice and stir until it is well coated with the butter/olive oil.
5. Continue to stir the rice until it begins to take on a golden cast.
6. Stir in 1/2 cup of the simmering broth.
7. Cook, stirring constantly, but slowly, with the wooden spatula or a wooden spoon, scraping the sides and bottom of the pot clean as you stir, until all the liquid is gone.
8. You must be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot clean as you stir or the rice will stick to it.
9. When there is no more liquid in the pot, add another 1/2 cup, continuing to stir as before.
10. Keep the heat at medium high, and continue stirring and adding broth when the previous broth has been absorbed.
11. When the rice has cooked for about 10 minutes, add the chopped porcini and 1/2 of the filtered water.
12. Continue to stir and when there is no more liquid, add 1/2 cup more of the mushroom water, stirring, letting it evaporate, then adding more until you have used it all up.
13. Finish cooking the rice with the broth, or, if you use up all of the broth, with hot water.
14. Cook until the rice is very tender, but firm to the bite, with no more liquid in the pot.
15. In total, this will probably take about 30 minutes.
16. Take the risotto off the heat, add some pepper, the remaining tablespoon of butter, and 1/2 cup of the parmesan.
17. Stir, taste, adjust for salt and pepper if needed.
18. Serve at once with a green salad and fresh bread, with more parmesan cheese on the side for serving.