Spinach Risotto with Wild Mushrooms

I love this wintery little risotto. It was a subtle earthy flavour from porcini mushrooms in the stock and the most delightful colour from the spinach that I wilt down and blitz to a puree before stirring it through my finished risotto.

Serves 2

For the stock:

• 15g unsalted butter

• 1 white onion, finely sliced

• 1 leek, finely sliced

• 2 sticks celery, finely sliced

• 2 carrots, finely sliced

• 25g dried porcini

• 1 tsp fennel seeds

• 2 bay leaves

• 2 large sprig thyme

• 1 bulb of garlic

For the risotto:

• 260g spinach (washed)

• 1 white onion, diced

• 1 large stick celery, diced

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 clove garlic

• 80ml white wine

• 120g risotto rice

• 40g parmesan, finely grated

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter

• dash lemon juice

To serve:

• 2-3 handfuls mixed wild mushrooms

• 1 clove garlic

• 60g dolcelatte

The Preparation:

1. We’re beginning by making the stock. Heat up the butter in a large stock pot over a medium heat and fry the onion and leek until slightly caramelised and golden.

2. Then add the carrots and celery to the pan and fry. You want there to be some golden caramelisation because this will add colour and flavour to the stock but don’t let things burn otherwise this will affect the flavour.

3. Once the base is soft and caramelised, add cover with cold water and bring to the boil. As it boils, a foamy scum will rise to the top. Use a large spoon to scoop this off and discard it.

4. Add the herbs and aromatics, as well as the whole bulb of garlic (cut in half). Add the dried porcini too. Turn the stock down and simmer for about 90 minutes.

5. Strain the stock into a jug and allow to cool until needed.

6. You also need to prepare the spinach. Place all of the spinach in a large pan with a lid, along with a ladleful of water. Over a medium high heat, steam the spinach until it is completely wilted down. Stir occasionally so that it cooks evenly.

7. Once it’s turned dark green and has wilted right down, remove it from the pan and lay it on a tray in a single layer to cool down as quickly as possible.

8. Once cooled, wrap the spinach in a clean tea towel and squeeze tightly over the sink to remove some of the water. It doesn’t need to be totally dry. Use a food processor to chop the spinach into a fine puree (you could also do this by hand. The finer you chop it, the more vibrant the overall colour of the dish).

   
   

   For the risotto

   
   

9. In a large frying pan, heat up a glug of olive oil over a medium -low heat and sauté off the onion and celery until translucent and glossy. This will take 10 minutes or so.

10. Meanwhile place 480ml of your stock in a small pan over a gently heat to warm up.

11. In another pan, sauté off the mixed mushrooms in a little butter. Don’t crowd the pan and don’t move them around too much in order to ensure you get a lovely golden crust. Grate in the garlic just before they’re cooked and season with a pinch of salt. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper whilst you prepare the rest of the risotto.

12. Back to the risotto. The onion and celery should now be soft and glossy with no colour. Grate in the garlic and cook for a minute more then add the rice and turn up the heat to high. Stir the rice so that it’s coated in the glossy veg.

13. Pour in  the white wine - it should bubble rapidly - stirring all the time until it has bubbled away completely.

14. Now, 1 ladleful at a time, add the stock. Turn the heat down and keep stirring, stirring, stirring as the risotto gently bubbles and cooks. As you add the stock, keep on testing the rice to see if it’s cooked. It should be soft but with a very slight chalky bite in the centre. It needs to be fairly wet and saucy too so add stock as required. You may not need all of the stock, you may need a little more. Keep tasting and testing to find out how you like it.

15. Once your risotto is cooked, turn off the heat and stir in the spinach puree from earlier. Beat in 2 tbsp butter (30g) and the parmesan. You should now have a saucy, vibrant green risotto. Season with salt and pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Taste to check that it’s delicious!

16. Crumble in half of the dolcelatte and stir so that it begins to melt.

17. Spoon the risotto between two bowls. Top with the garlicky mushrooms, chunks of the dolcelatte and a good grinding of fresh black pepper.