Best Porcini Risotto

Serves 4 for a main course (halve the quantities if it’s a starter)

Soak the dry porcini mushrooms for 30 minutes in half a litre of tepid water. Use the time to chop the chilli, shallots, sage and parsley. Then strain the soaking water through a sieve (or a muslin, if you’re especially hygienic) into a pan, setting the mushrooms to one side. Bring the pan to the boil, add stock or marmite and reduce to a simmer. Chop the porcini.

Set the other mushrooms, the large flat ones, under a medium grill.

In a separate pan, add half the oil and fry the chilli until nearly crisp. Then add the other half of the oil, half the butter and the shallots. Fry gently for 4 minutes, add the porcini and fry 2 more minutes, add the sage for 2 more minutes. Stir in the rice for one minute until completely coated. Then add stock to cover and reduce to a simmer.

Stir continuously, scraping the bottom of the pan. As the rice gradually absorbs the stock, keep it moist by adding a little more. Once the stock is exhausted, add boiled water as needed until the rice is ‘al dente.’

To serve, set the flat mushrooms in the plates, cover entirely with the risotto. Add the remaining butter and the chopped parsley. Have each diner add salt, pepper and truffle oil to taste. The idea is for the flat mushroom to lurk hidden beneath all this, as a surprise.