Mushroom Risotto

Heat the chicken broth in a medium saucepan and keep it warm over low heat.

Cover the dried porcini mushrooms with the warm water to reconstitute them.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2 of the diced onion and 1 clove of minced garlic. Cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the fresh mushrooms, thyme, bay leaf, 1 tablespoon of parsley, and butter. Sauté for 3 to 5 minutes until lightly browned, season with salt and pepper. Add the dried porcini mushrooms that were reconstituted in warm water, saving the liquid. Season again with salt and fresh cracked pepper. Sauté 1 minute then remove from heat and set aside.

Coat a saucepan with remaining 1 tablespoons of oil. Sauté the remaining onion and garlic clove over medium heat. Add the rice and stir quickly until it is well-coated and opaque, 1 minute. Stir in wine and liquid that the porcini was reconstituted in–be careful not to add in the mushroom grit/sand – just add the liquid. Cook until liquid is nearly all evaporated.

Now, with a ladle, add 1 cup of the warm broth to the rice pan and simmer, stirring, until the rice has absorbed the liquid. Add the remaining broth, 1 cup at a time. Continue to simmer and stir, allowing the rice to absorb each addition of broth before adding more. The risotto should be slightly firm and creamy, not mushy– this will take approximately 20 minutes in total.

Transfer the mushroom mixture (reserving about 2-3 tablespoons of the mushrooms) to the rice mixture. Stir in Parmesan cheese, cook briefly until melted. Check for seasonings and adjust with salt and pepper if needed. Spoon risotto into dishes and top with a few of the reserved mushrooms and chopped parsley before serving.