There are few things as pleasurable to make as a silky and creamy risotto – it’s dead easy to prepare and even easier to mess up. It demands your attention and commitment, you must give up a little bit of yourself in order to slowly nurture it and give it soul. Get it right and you will be rewarded ten-fold for your investment, get it wrong and it will equally punish your disrespect or inexperience. A great risotto reflects a lifetime’s experience of soulful sacrifice and sloppy porridge-like failures. But you get there eventually.

There are rules of course, and a strictly followed procedure that has been refined and perfected over generations. And the ingredients are critical – especially the rice. Cultivated mainly throughout Lombardia and Veneto, many varieties including Arborio, Maratelli, Carnoroli and Vialone Nano have evolved, each with their unique characteristics. Vialone Nano is my favourite, it’s a nicely rounded grain with a lovely bite and a really creamy finish.

Risotto Porcini Gorgonzola Spinach Egg

So first we need a Soffritto as a base, I used a small shallot and the stalks of a bunch of Porcini mushrooms, all finely chopped. Sweat it down in some good quality butter and a little olive oil with a dusting of Pimenton and Chilli flakes (Chipotle for me). Meanwhile, in a separate pan cook the remaining chopped Porcini in more butter and black pepper, set aside when done. Once the Soffritto has softened, add the rice for the ’Tostatura’ stage and allow it to gently toast until it’s completely coated and warmed through. Add a glass of Prosecco or white wine and simmer it down.

Then begin adding the stock (I’ve been eating tons of vegetables lately and saving and reducing the water each time to create a delicious stock), a tiny bit at a time, constantly stirring gently. As the stock is absorbed and the rice gets thirsty, add another tiny ladle of stock. Now add the cooked mushrooms that have been set aside. Keep repeating the addition of small quantities of stock each time the rice has absorbed it and carefully tease the starches from the rice as you stir. A few minutes from the end I added a couple of frozen balls of cooked spinach that I like to keep handy.

Risotto Gorgonzola Spinach Egg Yolk.jpg

Once the rice is a minute or two from done, fold in a lump of Gorgonzola Dolce, some fresh grated Grana Padano and set it aside off the heat to rest for a minute and don’t touch it. Then comes the critical stage – the ‘Mantecatura’, throw in a couple lumps of very good quality unsalted butter and carefully beat the rice with a wooden spoon to generate that beautifully silky smooth creamy texture. I prefer my risotto’s consistency to be somewhere between ‘Old Skool stand a fork in it’ firm and contemporary all’ onda.

The addition of the peppered egg yolk fried in butter took the whole creamy thing to a completely new place, I can’t believe I’ve never done it before.
Risotto stuff..

  • A scoop of rice
  • Lots of good unsalted butter
  • A little Pimenton and chilli flakes
  • A bag of Porcini
  • A small shallot
  • Gorgonzola Dolce DOP to taste
  • Grana Padano for seasoning
  • Good vegetable stock
  • One egg per serving

I don’t have scales or any kind of measuring stuff so I tend to just wing it. Figure out what you might need for yourself and multiply it by the amount of hungry people in your house.

Buon apetito e salute.