Mushroom and saffron risotto

The yellow of this precious spice combined with the autumnal ingredient par excellence give life to the delicious mushroom and saffron risotto.

A precious spice with the color of the sun, saffron is able to embellish any dish and the mushroom and saffron risotto is no exception. Also ideal for more formal occasions, it is simple to prepare but in order to fully enhance all the flavors of the ingredients that compose it it is necessary to take some care. You don't want to ruin the risotto with porcini mushrooms and saffron, right?

The ideal would be to prepare it when the porcini mushrooms are in season but as an alternative you can opt for a good frozen one. We like to serve it fresh, stirring it with butter and parmesan but this is not the only secret to having a perfect risotto. Let's see all the steps together.

How to prepare the mushroom and saffron risotto recipe

1. First clean the mushrooms by removing the soil at the base with a small knife and rubbing the head with a damp cloth. Avoid putting them under water because they will tend to absorb it, compromising flavor and consistency. Then cut them into slices.
2. In a pan, heat half the oil with the garlic clove. Add the mushrooms, a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper and cook for 5 minutes , until they are tender. Finally, flavor with parsley.
3. Set the mushrooms aside and finely chop the onion. Brown it in a pan with the remaining oil until it is tender and transparent.
4. Add the rice and toast it for 2 minutes then add the dry white wine .
5. When you no longer smell alcohol rising from the pan, start the actual cooking. First, dissolve the saffron in a ladle of broth and add it to the rice. Then pour in enough boiling broth to just cover the rice. From this moment, calculate 16-18 minutes of cooking depending on whether you prefer it more or less al dente. To cook rice correctly, always add the boiling broth little by little so that the grain has time to release the starch. Add salt gradually.
6. Once ready, remove it from the heat, add the mushrooms, parmesan and butter and mix with a spoon to mix. Serve immediately.

To make this dish even more refined you can use saffron pistils . In this case, leave them to soak for at least 10 minutes in warm water before adding them to the risotto, together with their water, in the first stages of cooking.

The question of soaking also applies in the case of risotto with saffron and dried mushrooms. Twenty minutes in warm water is enough to make them tender. Then add them together with the water immediately after blending with the rice, a bit like you do with dried mushroom risotto .

Here is a video where you can see in detail the steps for adding the saffron and broth. As you can see , the mushrooms can also be added immediately and thus speed up the preparation. In both cases the result is excellent.

Conservation

The saffron and mushroom risotto should be enjoyed as soon as it is made. If you have any leftovers, keep them closed in an airtight container for 2-3 days . Reheat it on a low heat in a pan or on medium power in the microwave.

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